Since the pitch fiasco in the 2009 ODI against Sri Lanka, the Ferozeshah Kotla track has come under the scanner before every international game, says a report in Hindustan Times, adding that it is no different this time, but with the Aussies roiling and embarrassing, the seemingly dry pitch may not cop all the blame if the match finishes early.
“Before the start of this series, the BCCI shifted the Delhi Test right at the end. Initially, it was scheduled to be the series opener. The change has allowed the game to happen in drier March than cooler February and kill every possibility of moisture affecting the wicket and playing to the Aussie pacers' strength,” says the HT report, adding that one look at the track reveals the wisdom behind the decision.
"We haven't left any grass. The wicket is result-oriented," says Chetan Chauhan, chairman of the pitch committee, DDCA. He added that the game would last all five days and is a good Test match wicket.
Others at the home of Delhi cricket are less optimistic, with some saying it may finish inside three-and-half days. With temperatures expected to rise in the next few days, it'll help the track lose more life.
According to a report in The Times Of India, the question on everyone's mind is: Will the Kotla help the hosts complete a 4-0 brownwash? “BCCI's ground and pitches committee chairman Daljit Singh inspected the pitch along with Kotla curator Venkat Sundaram on Tuesday evening and looked satisfied. So how will the pitch behave? There was no official word from the curators but the groundsmen are confident that the pitch will be result-oriented and the Delhi & District Cricket Association backed this claim by saying the pitch was perfect during the third ODI match between India and Pakistan in January,” says the report.
That match belonged to the bowlers but it was an ODI played in freezing conditions. The conditions are completely different now and Delhi is getting hotter by day. Kotla, on Tuesday, wore a bald look which should make the batsmen happy. However, DDCA sources said that this wicket has typical Kotla characteristics - it will be slightly slow and may keep low and will surely take turn as the match progresses.
With intense heat during the day, cracks may open up sooner than expected. Keeping that in mind, the groundsmen have been instructed to keep watering the pitch to keep it in good condition. "It should not look underprepared," said an official.