Reports | Indore pitch likely to suit pacers

India's fast bowlers have, of late, donned the role of wicket-takers even in home conditions and that was quite evident from their performance against South African where the likes of Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav tormented the Protea batsman on seemingly flat pitches.

The last two finals of the Ranji Trophy were played in Indore and MPCA chief curator Samandar Singh has made the use of red soil in making the pitch for the last four years, thus offering the possibility of nice pace and bounce for the bowlers.

"Red soil wickets offer good bounce. It helps the pacers and if batsmen apply themselves, it's good for stroke-making. Besides, it also offers turn as the game progresses. It's going to be a good sporting wicket where everyone will get something," a source told TOI.

The two Ranji Trophy finals Vidarbha vs Delhi and Mumbai vs Gujarat were of similar nature where the fast bowlers dominated in the first innings after which the spinners came into the game in the second innings.

Such sporting wickets make the game more interesting and more balanced and competitive and that has been India's approach in domestic games. In international games, the Indian pacers' form and the dependence of the Bangladesh team on their spinners is what might have made the curators prepare a wicket suiting the faster bowlers.

"India have covered most of the bases. They have become the team which can win on any surface. They did well on hard, bouncy wickets in Australia. On square turners too, they are very hard to beat," the source added.