SuperSport Park gets ready with pitch for First Test between India and South Africa

The pitch for the First Test match between South Africa and India has been rolled out. The match will be a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 3 and the two teams will be looking forward to getting crucial points. The pitch seems to be a nightmare for the batters and a heaven for the bowlers. No batter would love to bat at the venue, come to the Boxing Day.

The pitch at SuperSport Park will have terrific help for the pacers. The wicket in South Africa is traditionally known for its seam movement and extra bounce. It is nothing different this time around. The pitch is green, which excited the bowlers straightaway. The pitch is expected to provide a spongy bounce and lateral seam movement for the pace bowlers. It excited the bowlers and put batters in trouble.

Over the years, chasing has been difficult at the venue, with the progression of the match, the wicket is only going to get tough for batting. Hence, there would be no doubts about the captains winning the toss. Both India and South Africa would undoubtedly opt to bat first if they were to win the toss. Bowlers would always be in the game.

Rain to impact the game?

For batters, it would be important to have patience. The key would be to judge the length. There would be uneven bounce and the batters would have to cope with it big time. After getting set, batters can score runs at Centurion. But there would be enough help for the bowlers on all fronts. Even spinners can get some purchase on the last 2 days of the Test. 

The weather for the Test match is fairly good. There is a rain forecast for the match for a brief period. It might not have a say in the eventual outcome. But it is likely to impact the match by helping the bowlers a bit more. There might be some swing on offer as well for the Pacers. It makes the life of batters only difficult. Bowlers are likely to dominate the Test.