Ishant Sharma was bowling to Virat Kohli in the nets, he landed the ball on a length, got it to nip back in and took the inside half of Kohli’s bat. It was a moment of discomfort for the Indian captain. Ishant then followed it up with another length ball, which was slightly pitched up and decked off the surface, it zipped past the outisde edge. There was only one winner in this battle and the skipper cast a cursory glance at the pitch. It had a green tinge and hence, there was assistance for the bowlers. He came second in the contest, but the captain in Kohli will be mighty pleased with how his bowlers are shaping up.
One day before the Test match, BCCI shared the picture of the playing surface with the caption: A day out of the 1st Test, this is what the pitch at Basin Reserve looks like.
The pitch looked green and one could be forgiven if they think it was just an extension of the rest of the ground. This Indian attack seems to have all the bases covered. There is the seam option in Mohammed Shami, there is the hit the deck and get movement in the from of Jasprit Bumrah, there is height and skills and swing in the form of Ishant Sharma. And when the grass eventually wears off, there is spin in the form of Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin.
{{/usCountry}}The pitch looked green and one could be forgiven if they think it was just an extension of the rest of the ground. This Indian attack seems to have all the bases covered. There is the seam option in Mohammed Shami, there is the hit the deck and get movement in the from of Jasprit Bumrah, there is height and skills and swing in the form of Ishant Sharma. And when the grass eventually wears off, there is spin in the form of Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin.
{{/usCountry}}ALSO READ: Kane Williamson wants last look at pitch before naming side
Yes, the task will be cut out for the batsmen - but Test cricket is always more fun when the bowlers have more advantage. New Zealand is a rather unique place - it is perhaps one of the few countries in thr world where batting becomes easier in the second innings and hence, captains winning the toss elect to bowl first.
“We just want to have another look at this surface,” Kane Williamson told reporters. “It’s got a different look to what we’re used to seeing here at the Basin.”
There will be plenty of attention given to the surface and well, this is the beauty of Test cricket.