India’s obsession of preparing rank-turners at home is finally about to take a backseat. With four important World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle matches on the calendar at home, the Indian management is planning to ready pitches according to oppositions. Tests against the West Indies could have some spice for pacers, while the ones against South Africa could offer turn from Day 1.
India need to do away with turners?
In the last few years or so, India have been adamant about having raging turners at home. While it has troubled most of the visiting teams, it has also led to a cobra effect. The margin of error widens and there isn’t much to separate spin attacks on turfs that has enough turn. India, despite having perhaps the best spin unit in Tests, have been outbowled multiple times in the past, with the biggest moment being New Zealand’s historic whitewash over India in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai.
India’s strategy of preparing turning pitches for home Tests to gain an advantage in the World Test Championship might backfire, as it could level the playing field between India’s strong spin attack and visiting teams’. This was partly why New Zealand surprisingly whitewashed India in their recent series.
There have been other instances as well where the Indian batters had no clue about facing some bombarding questions. The Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) of 2023 wasn’t smooth. Bangladesh gave India a run for their money. Now, in order to avoid the diminishing level of disparity between spin bowling units, India is planning to prepare more true surfaces for the West Indies series that starts tomorrow (October 2).
Perfect Pitch Plan?
According to the Times of India, the management don’t want tracks that offer massive spin or extra bounce from Day 1. Rather, they are eyeing much more level playing field so that matches can do till Day 4 or 5 against the West Indies.
“It has been communicated to the curators that the team wants to play on sporting pitches that won’t have overtly variable bounce and turn from Day One. One can expect the matches to go on till the fourth day during the West Indies series,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Now, against South Africa, however, expect the normalcy. Against the current WTC Champions, India will be having tracks that offer spin from the word-go. The two Tests against South Africa are scheduled to take place in Guwahati and Kolkata, two stadiums that are more known to be pacer-friendly.
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