We have prepared a result oriented pitch: Curator

Wed, Nov 10 10 09:21 PM

Abhishek Hore Hyderabad, Nov 10 (PTI) The curator of Hyderabad Cricket Association Y L Chandreshekhar has assured that the 22-yard strip at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here would be a "result oriented one" and would last five days during the upcoming second Test between India and New Zealand, starting from Friday. The pitch has been prepared with a mixture of red and black soil -- a combination which is in vogue in Andhra Pradesh but rare in other parts of India. "We are hoping and are also pretty confident that it would turn out to be a result-oriented one and the wicket is also expected to last five days. We have been working very hard to prepare a good Test match wicket for a long time," Chandreshekhar told PTI today, even as the India players went through the paces during their training session. Asked about the mixture used for preparing the pitch, Chandreshekhar said, "The combination (of red and black soil) is widely used in Andhra Pradesh but, as far as how the pitch will behave over the five days, a lot will depend on how the batsmen apply themselves." A lot of former players from Hyderabad were involved during the pitch-preparation process and Chandreshekhar felt that should be a plus. "Former players like Venkatapathy Raju, Shivlal Yadav (vice-president, Hyderabad Cricket Association and Indian Cricket Board) and Arshad Yadav were involved in the process, not directly, but they were part of it," Chandreshekhar said. The curator, however, refused to comment on whether the balance would be tilted in the batsmen or bowlers'' favour. "A lot of ODIs, T20s and Ranji matches have been played on this wicket and you know how it acts," Chandreshekhar said while indicating that the willow-wielders would be holding the upper hand. Traditionally, this has been a batsmen-friendly track and the last time it hosted an ODI, in November 2009, Sachin Tendulkar cracked an astonishing 175 to almost single-handedly guide India to an improbable victory against Ricky Ponting''s Australia. That match, which India lost narrowly, produced nearly 700 runs. New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor had earlier said that the wicket will not be as flat as the one in Ahmedabad. "I don''t think the wicket will be as flat as it was in Ahmedabad, so we can take a lot of confidence from that. We know the Indian batsmen and have also seen their bowlers. Hopefully we can attack them more and put them under pressure," Taylor said.

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