Hathurusingha unsure over how the Chennai pitch will behave in 1st Test against India

Hosts India will kickstart their red-ball season with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting this Thursday, but the Chepauk pitch remains a big mystery ahead of the series opener.

Chennai’s track has helped the spinners in the past, but reports suggest that the BCCI has decided to go for a red-soil pitch considering Bangladesh’s bowling line-up, which consists of in-form slow bowlers on their side.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has suggested that the Chepauk track looks like a sporting wicket, but he is not sure when it will start providing assistance to the spinners.

However, Hathurusingha said it looked like a “sporting wicket”.

“It looks like a sporting wicket at this stage. But, judging by the sub-continent conditions, it can change right from Day 1. Not sure when it is going to start turning, though,” the Bangladesh head coach said ahead of the series opener.

The red soil track is expected to assist the pacers of both teams with quality bounce and carry. Meanwhile, a veteran curator has suggested that the unusual weather pattern in the city could affect the nature of the pitch as the match goes on.

“It’s really hot here in Chennai for the last couple of weeks, with temperature touching late 30s. Even though I heard that the pitch is sufficiently getting watered, the extreme heat could lead to its disintegration as the match progresses.

“It will bring the spinners into action as the match moves on. So, that could be the reason the batsmen were preparing for the turning ball,” a veteran curator told PTI.

The Bangladesh team is riding high on confidence after a 2-0 away Test series win over Pakistan. It was the first time the Bangla Tigers had beaten Pakistan in a Test series.

Meanwhile, India, currently leading the World Test Championship (WTC) table, will start as favourites in the Test series.

“We are encouraged by playing the best team in the world, and coming to India and playing against them is the best challenge you get nowadays. Playing against the best always gives you the perception of where you stand, and as sportspersons, we always look forward to it,” said Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lankan all-rounder, who was appointed Bangladesh coach early last year, during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.