Contrasting with the one prepared in Ahmedabad, it is said that the pitch for the second Test at the national capital, between India and the West Indies, scheduled to begin on Friday, would be a batting-friendly strip with patches of grass interspersed with bald areas by ESPNcricinfo.
The Ahmedabad pitch had a uniform look to it, with the grass evenly gripping on it. On the other hand, the Delhi pitch will probably have a black-soil base. The surface at Arun Jaitley Stadium is basically expected to assist the batters. And as time goes by and the pitch dries up a bit, the spinners would make their impact.
In the first of the two-match series, the Caribbean team ground to a halt, barely lasting for three days on a surface prepared with movement and bounce for the pace bowlers and the spinners alike. The strip on which both the teams had to struggle was probably the greenest strip in India since the World Test Championship began in 2019.
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The Vice-captain obtained firm headlines owing to all-round performances that saw the hosts to a grand win by an innings and 140 runs. Bumrah and Siraj bowled in tandem and inflicted much havoc making the West Indies regret their call to bat first.
With four millimetres of live grass poking through the thin red soil, Bumrah and Siraj extracted threatening bounce and went about their business gleefully. On the first morning, the tourists were bowled out for a paltry case of 162 in 44.1 overs.
KL Rahul (100), Ravindra Jadeja (104*) and Dhruv Jurel (125) opposed the West Indies bowlers and rigged India’s innings till 448/5. The Shubman Gill-led side declared overnight and gave an invitation to the West Indies to chase down a deficit. Under pressure, the West Indies succumbed and packed their bags for an inevitable defeat.
The last time the national capital played host to a Test match was the second of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy clang in 2023. That day, Australia chose to bat and went down by six wickets inside three days.
