Reports : India likely to get pacer-friendly wickets in Nagpur and Delhi

The first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata had a tinge of green grass on it, and Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal exploited that well to reduce the hosts to 17/3 on Day 1 despite rain washing away most of the day. India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami also took India to the brink of an unlikely victory, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 75/7 in their second innings. In fact, all 17 Sri Lankan wickets to fall were picked up by the Indian seamers – a first of its kind occurrence in India where, for the first time, spinners failed to pick a wicket on home soil.

However, now as per a report in ESPNCricinfo, it was the type of conditions was actually asked by Shastri during the Australia ODI series in September as preparation for the upcoming South Africa tour. It is also understood that Shastri emphasised the pitches to have "lively green-tops", which are "hard and bouncy".

Nagpur's VCA Stadium is also expected to have a bit of grass on it and the role of spinners will be almost insignificant in the match when the second Test begins on Friday. Incidentally, it was the same pitch that was deemed poor by the ICC when it turned out to be a "rank turner" during a Test against South Africa in 2015 as the match finished inside three days.

The wicket that was prepared for the just-concluded Test also wore a green look and combined with the inclement weather, it helped the Indian team get an idea of what to expect in the forthcoming away tours. And after the end of the Test, KL Rahul also admitted the same and stated that the team was preparing for the away-from-home series in the next couple of years.