I would pick an extra pacer on Saint Lucia pitch: Curator – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A blockbuster showdown between India and Australia in Gros Islet on Monday has heated up after Australia’s surprising loss to Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup.

Local curators suggest using three spinners might be excessive on what’s considered the best batting pitch at this year’s showpiece.

Rohit Sharma’s decision to continue fielding an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken five wickets in three games, appears certain and India’s other spin options include all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

The groundstaff at Darren Sammy Stadium, a day before the potentially tournament-ending game for Australia, expressed desire for pacer Mohammed Siraj to return to the lineup to complement Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, potentially at the cost of a spinner.

The match will be played on pitch number three from the main square, which consists of six black soil pitches.

“The pitch is nice and hard, should stay the same throughout in a day game. Whichever team bats should score 180 to 200. I prefer to bat and put runs on the board. England batted poorly. The pitch got a bit tricky and the ball was not coming on,” news agency PTI quoted a member of the groundstaff at the Darren Sammy Stadium as saying.

The highest total of the tournament so far, 218, was scored by West Indies during a day-night game where light dew eased batting conditions.

In the only daytime game held previously, South Africa defended 163 against England.

“It gets drier in a day game when the sun is out, it would be a good game tomorrow. Here we don’t get much spin. We get nice bounce but not a lot of spin on this black soil pitch. I would play an extra pacer. The surface is more suited to the pacers and has consistent pace and bounce.

“Bowlers will need to bowl well else they get punished,” said another member of the groundstaff.

Spinners still found some success in the England-South Africa day game, with Keshav Maharaj taking two wickets for the Proteas, and Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali picking one each. The top dressing of the main square was completed five months ago in preparation for the World Cup.

Previously, Sri Lanka managed to score 201 against the Netherlands at this venue. The wind factor, prevalent in Barbados and Antigua, will also come into play.

India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said ahead of the game, “The breeze and the wind has been a factor in the last two games. So obviously, you plan certain ends. You will want any particular bowler – you’ve got to look at your best match-up and say which is the best end for the particular bowler.

“But it’s not going to be possible every time. You still sometimes have to come and bowl from the difficult end, which Arsh did in the last game. Barbados was different when he bowled from a difficult end.

“You’ve got to be able to do that. It’s not only possible each and every time, but you need to consider the surface, the conditions while implementing your plans.”

The high-stakes game adds further intensity to the India-Australia rivalry as key strategic decisions on player selection and bowling approaches will likely influence the outcome on Monday.