India’s preparation for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai has taken an interesting turn, with the team training on a black-soil pitch despite the match being expected to be played on a red-soil surface. The unusual weather conditions in the city have raised concerns about the pitch’s behavior during the match.
The red-soil pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is known for providing good bounce and carry for pacers, while the black-soil composition is more likely to assist spinners. However, the extreme heat in Chennai could lead to the disintegration of the pitch as the match progresses, bringing the spinners into play.
This has prompted the Indian batsmen to focus on perfecting their technique against spin, as Bangladesh boasts a formidable spin attack. The likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli have struggled against spin in recent matches, and they have been working hard to address this weakness.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has acknowledged that the Indian team needs to improve its ability to handle spin effectively. “We got undone in Sri Lanka. The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, (so) that we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit,” he said.
The Indian team is expected to go through an optional net session on Wednesday, but the intensity of Tuesday’s practice was evident despite the scorching sun. The nature of the pitch will force the Indian management to make a careful decision regarding the team’s composition for the opening Test.
With the pitch likely to favor pacers, India may opt for a three-pacer attack, including Akash Deep or Yash Dayal alongside Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav. This strategy aligns with India’s goal of giving their pacers as much experience as possible ahead of their tour of Australia later this year.
