After losing the first Test against New Zealand, India will play the second Test in Pune.
India lost the first Test against New Zealand by eight wickets in Bengaluru, and the highlighting part was their first-innings score of 46, the lowest-ever by a side in Asia. There was moisture in the deck early on, and Kiwi speedsters, who specialise in extracting seam movement, used it to their favour.
The setback has created panic among the group, for they are looking to prepare a slow turner for the next game. According to ESPNcricinfo, the pitch for the next encounter will be bald and slow-turning in Pune.
Further, the bounce will be low since black soil is used and will turn more to bring Indian spinners into the game and let them dominate the proceedings. It won’t have much grass, which should take away the seam movement factor from speedsters once the ball gets slightly old.
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However, the ball will reverse more due to dry pitch, and pacers should be able to extract reverse swing early in the innings. A similar surface was expected in Bengaluru for the first Test, a reason India played three spinners, but the rain at regular intervals made the pitch suited for pacers, providing exaggerated seam movement for New Zealand quicks.
Hours after India’s loss to New Zealand, Washington Sundar was recalled to the Indian squad as an additional spinner. It confirms that India might be preparing for conditions suiting spinners and can play as many as four tweakers in the XI in the next game.
Further, the nature of the track is expected to be the same in Mumbai for the third Test, with the pitch offering more turn to slow bowlers. However, the bounce in Mumbai will be more than in Pune since it will be a red soil wicket, which naturally has more bounce than black soil tracks.
Probably, India didn’t need to do it because there’s quality in their bowling attack to win games on true decks. One loss shouldn’t have created unrest among the group, even though they are under pressure to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Even against England earlier this year, India lost the first Test in Hyderabad but didn’t revert to spinning pitches and still won the series 4-1. They will gain nothing by playing the game on a turning track that lasts for three days or so.
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