Cuttack: With just five days to go for the T20 International between India and South Africa at the Barabati Stadium here, the cricket fever is rising in this part of the world.
After the ODI series concludes at Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the white-ball bandwagon will move to Cuttack for the first of five T20Is.
So what’s in store for the Suryakumar Yadav and Aiden Markram-led teams, and the 40,000-odd spectators who will fill up the stadium?
A T20 match often produces a run feast, and the Cuttack clash on Tuesday should be no different.
To ensure a high-scoring contest, BCCI’s East Zone chief pitch curator Ashish Bhowmick has zeroed in on the red soil pitch at Barabati Stadium.
Interestingly, this is the first time that Barabati Stadium will be hosting a match on a red-soil pitch, adding another significant chapter in the history of his ground. The Barabati has so far staged 20 ODIs, 3 T20Is and 2 Test matches.
Two tracks with distinct characteristics were prepared by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), a black-soil strip sourced from Odisha’s Kalahandi and a red-soil track sourced from Maharashtra.
After carrying out a detailed assessment of both pitches during an inspection on Wednesday, Bhowmick preferred the red surface over the black soil pitch.
Bhowmick, who was accompanied by senior OCA officials during his visit to the Barabati, took into consideration the bounce, hardness, moisture levels in the day-night game and overall readiness of both pitches before taking a call. He also reviewed outfield conditions and other match-day preparations.
According to the BCCI curator, the red-soil surface will offer better pace, carry and consistency, which should produce an engaging contest between bat and ball.
“The selection (of pitch) reflects the association’s focus on ensuring a top-class match experience. The red-soil pitch naturally offers more bounce and quicker pace, which allows strokeplay and helps batsmen play freely. At the same time, it keeps bowlers, especially pacers, interested throughout the game. This balance is why the red wicket was preferred. Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare the surface and we are confident it will produce an exciting, high-scoring encounter, according to BCCI curator Bhowmick,” said OCA secretary Sanjay Behera.
The Cuttack T20I will be followed by matches in at Mullanpur or New Chandigarh (Dec 11), Dharamsala (Dec 14), Lucknow (Dec 17) and Ahmedabad (Dec 19).
