Test pitches in India get more airtime than those in any other country. Even before browsing through the squads, teams spend much of their time trying to discern how they are going to play. That they will take prodigious turn is a given. But how soon it will start spitting venom in a Test match keeps everyone on tenterhooks.
Let’s clear all doubts before the first Test against World Test champions New Zealand gets underway at the Green Park in Kanpur on Thursday. It’s going to be a spin-fest right through. The pitch looks bare and dry, crumbly as a cookie from a distance. And India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane does not mind declaring on the eve of the match.
“We are in a World Test Championship. We have to make the most of home advantage. In future, you will see we are going to play on spin-friendly pitches,” said Rahane.
No one is in need of big runs more than a woefully out-of-form Rahane at this moment. And playing on spinning tracks cuts down the chances of getting back in form. The statement makes it clear that this Indian team doesn’t care if they are being frowned upon for playing on pitches that take turn from Day One.
“It’s a challenge to play on spin-friendly wickets for Indian batters as well. We never play on such wickets. Batters, once they are in, will have to make it. We are not bothered about it as long as we are winning the Test match and the series,” Rahane declared unapologetically.
In effect, India have become a bunny of sorts for New Zealand in World Championships. And this series is the best opportunity to land the first punch in the new WTC cycle.
There was an inkling of a revolution a couple of years ago, when the Indian team was playing on much truer pitches with a covering of grass at home. That had much to do with having a red-hot pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav all at the peak of their powers.
The revolution was nipped in the bud when England came touring earlier in the year. With no Bumrah and Shami at their disposal and a place in the WTC final at stake, the team management resorted to bombarding the opposition with spin.
It’s a similar situation here in Kanpur. And if the tour of England in Aug-Sept is any indication to go by, Ishant seems to be on the wane. Spin, thus, becomes the safer option.
Much of the pre-match captains’ comments revolved around ways to deal with spinning conditions. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has been on a few Test tours to India. He knows what to expect albeit his team has had no time to even play a warmup game. And a regimented plan is a no-no. He talks about finding more ways (both with bat and pacers) than just waiting for spinners to do their thing.
“Ajaz and Somerville will play an important role for us. There will be some reverse swing, we will try to create ways to get wickets, so there will be a role for both seamers and spinners,” Williamson, maintaining his poise, responded to probing questions on spin.
“We have to find ways to look to score and try and be effective and try and build those partnerships. And every player is different, so their ways will be slightly different from one another.”
Barring the bold statement on the desire to keep playing on raging turners at home, Rahane typically stayed tight-lipped on his team’s gameplan.
“I can’t reveal anything about the number of spinners we are going to play. We are not too sure about combinations and in India, you generally know there would be spin friendly wickets, ball keeps low and slow. We will have to wait till tomorrow and assess it from there. It will be good to bat on and if a batter gets set, he needs to get a big one,” was all Rahane would give away.
A depleted India have identified their strength and announced it to the world champs in the format. Playing on a raging turner is like racing along a cliff. A little slip-up and things can unravel very quickly. It’s time for execution.
