Suryakumar Yadav (R) with Tilak Varma during training. (Getty Images) CHENNAI: Normally, India don’t care much about the pitch when they play T20 cricket at home. But now, after the knocks against South Africa and the recent struggles of the Indian batsmen right in the T20 World Cup, 22 yards has become a topic.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!When the Indian team arrived in Chennai on Monday afternoon for the must-win game against Zimbabwe on Thursday, the management seemed to have done their homework on the pitch that would be on offer.
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India’s ball-loving big-hitters have had a rough time in the tournament and Zimbabwe have plenty of bowlers. Fortunately, the Chepauk ground can be a bit of a relief for Suryakumar Yadav’s men. Traditionally, this is a slow pitch that would help Zimbabwean bowlers like Sikander Raza and Blessing Muzarabani, but a few things seem to have changed this time.Before the World Cup, the ground was dug up and one of the tracks was completely redone. However, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association authorities ensured that no cricket was played at the MA Chidambaram (MAC) Stadium for more than five months, keeping the pitch fresh.
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Given the recent high score in Chepauk, what should India do if they win the toss against Zimbabwe?
So the ball is coming to the bat much better on both red and black clay pitches than it has been in the past few years. In the first match – a one-day match between Afghanistan and New Zealand – Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott opted to keep left-armer and Chennai Super Kings star Noor Ahmad out of the playing XI. The Afghans were unable to defend 182 as New Zealand reached a run-out of 17.5 overs, quite a departure from the earlier day’s matches at the venue where eight par used to be the required course.Now let’s look at some other scores at Chepauk in this World Cup. NZ chased down 175 in 15.2 overs against UAE while Canada’s Yuvraj Samra hit a fluent 65-ball 110 against the Black Caps. The ball didn’t spin or stop much and NZ chased down a target of 176 in 15.1 overs.While captain Mitchell Santner said it was “a pretty flat wicket in the end”, New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson said “the pitch was exceptional”. “I played a bit in Chennai, it can turn around… (pacers) Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy got off the pitch quite a bit,” Ferguson said.In the two night matches played here so far, the batting first teams have won with relative ease, defending 196 and 200. The dew factor, which has often played a big role in the games on the ground, did not play havoc this time. In such a situation, the ‘SKY’ captain may look at the bat first.A 180-game (batting first or fielding first) would be ideal for Zimbabwe. But the conditions in the MAC suggest that this should not be enough.
