HYDERABAD: There was sufficient dew at 10.00 AM on Tuesday. A little later in the day, the sun's strength wasn't harsh. So the ground staff had left the main strip uncovered. At 10.00 AM on Wednesday, the ground was bone dry. A harsher sun had covered the vast swathes of the lush greens of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. So, the ground staff had covered the main strip, not wanting to expose the surface to the vagaries of the weather. Therein lies the challenge of preparing a surface capable of going the distance.
The strip to be used for the first Test comprises both black and red with the majority the former. It's understood that the surface in play has seen some extensive work for over a week. It's learned that the surface in question has been used before this season. While the pitch has been watered, at least to the naked eye from beyond 70 metres, it looks like there are some dry spots in a good length area for the spinners. When asked how it looked, Rohit Sharma's one-word answer was 'good'.
Ben Stokes was more elaborate. "You have always got to think that the ball is going to turn in India," he said during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. "But you don't want to go in with any preconceived ideas. We have to adapt to whatever is presented in front of us."
Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have already shown that. And the XI for the match shows they are willing to adapt to the conditions. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley will make his debut in an attack consisting of four spinners, including Joe Root. Jack Leach, coming back from an injury, will lead the attack with leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed the fourth tweaker in the side. The lone pacer will be Mark Wood, whose pace, Stokes hoped, will be a point of difference. "What Woody brings with his high pace, he is a real impact bowler," the skipper said. "If we can get the ball swinging, him bowling in the 90s-mph with a reverse-swinging ball will be very difficult to play against."
How much of reverse swing will be on offer? Not much, according to a person who is intimate with the conditions, especially with the lush green nature of the outfield. While the strip is expected to take turn from pretty early in the Test, will it slow and low or will it be ragging? The answer to that question will be known in a few hours.
