Curator reveals the nature of Indore pitch for second T20I

The Cuttack pitch in the 1st T20I between India and Sri Lanka was good enough to bring a 180-target particularly because Indian batsmen were able to apply themselves while the Lankans had no answers to it. The scenario is likely to be slightly different for both sides now that the pitch laid down at the Holkar Stadium for the second Twenty20 International is expected to be a belter.

Bowling first won’t be a bad option for the team that wins the toss, feels Madhya Pradesh CA curator Samandar Singh Chouhan. During the first T20I dew affected the proceedings from the very first ball but it won’t come into play in Indore that early. The distance of the boundary has also been shortened by a yard and now it will be 69 yards, which will make fours and sixes a common sight.

“It was cloudy here yesterday and there is the same forecast for tomorrow. In that case, dew won’t fall before 7:30 or 7:45 which means first 10 overs won’t be affected by dew. Still, bowling first will be a good option for captain winning the toss,” Chouhan was quoted as saying by ZeeNews ahead of the clash.

“We have been using a chemical which prevents grass from getting wet. It causes dew to slip. We will use the substance tomorrow as well to negate the dew factor,” Chouhan added.

Both Indian and Sri Lankan spinners struggled to grip the ball properly in Cuttack. However, the Indian spin twin Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal spun a web around the opposition and picked up 6 wickets in between them. Chahal, who now has a reputation for not relying on pitches for wickets proved his prowess once again as he registered figures of 4/23 while Kuldeep’s 2/18 ensured cushion for his partner. India are leading the three-match series 1-0, having won the series opener by 93 runs in Cuttack on Wednesday.