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Ahmedabad pitch set to challenge batters as report claims green deck for IND vs WI 1st Test

Debashis Sarangi

IND vs WI 1st Test will be played in Ahmedabad [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]IND vs WI 1st Test will be played in Ahmedabad [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

According to emerging reports, a greenish pitch is likely to be dished out for the first Test between India and West Indies. The men from the Caribbean have arrived at the Indian shores and are all set to take on the home team in the first Test of the two-match series at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

Red-soil pitch with decent grass covering likely for 1st IND vs WI Test

According to ESPNCricinfo, the a red-soil pitch will be used at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the series opener between India and West Indies. The report states that the pitch currently has a covering of lush green grass. However, considering we are still one day away from the commencement of the game, it's expected that the curator will trim out the grass to around 4-5mm. 

Likely behaviour of Narendra Modi Stadium's pitch explained

That said, a 4-5mm of grass covering might still aid the fast bowlers, helping them generate genuine seam movement, particularly when the ball is hard and new. Red soil generally helps the bowlers get extra bounce; so, the batters from both sides might find it challenging to score runs if the bowlers hit the right areas. 

Additionally, the red-soil pitches don't have the capacity to retain moisture, unlike the black-soil tracks. So, with the sun beating down, the pitch in Ahmedabad is expected to crumble at a steady rate and bring the spinners into play as the game progresses. So, although the pacers might get some seam movement and extra bounce early on, the grass covering is meant to prevent the track from deteriorating faster than expected. 

If a green track comes into play in Ahmedabad, we might see India giving seam-bowling allrounder Nitish Reddy a chance at the expense of Kuldeep Yadav. On the other hand, West Indies will miss Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, who could've been valuable assets for them against India's formidable lineup on such a deck.