IND vs WI | Cuttack to produce a high-scoring wicket, reveals OCA official
A senior OCA official, in charge of overseeing preparations for the third ODI between India and the West Indies in Cuttack, has revealed that the venue will produce another high-scoring game. The official has also told SportsCafe that there have been efforts to reduce the dew factor under lights.
After a disastrous batting performance by the Indian cricket team against South Africa in a T20I in 2015, in which the team was bundled out for a paltry 92 batting first, the Barabati Stadium has tried hard to change the reputation, with the primary one being dishing out batting friendly-wickets for subsequent matches.
The 2017 India-England ODI saw England running close to India’s target of 382 runs while India-Sri Lanka T20I in December 2017 saw another high-scoring encounter, in which India scored 180 runs in the first innings. This time, the situation won’t be any different as senior Odisha Cricket Association official, who is privy to the developments of pitch preparation, told SportsCafe.
“We have rolled it enough and grasses have been cut down to a significant amount. It will be a high-scoring encounter with our prediction being above 350. The preparation majorly involved cutting down the grass to a requisite amount as well as working on the ground slope for a faster movement,” the official told SportsCafe in an exclusive chat.
With the eastern part of India being more prone to dew, the impact of it would be felt in Cuttack too. The last time the venue hosted an international match between India and Sri Lanka, bowlers were taken to the cleaners with spinners having a little impact. However, the official revealed that there are clear plans in place to tackle the dew factor.
“We have plans in place for that. It is a natural occurring thing and adds beauty to the ODI matches. There can’t be a lot done in that aspect but we are cautious about it and ropes will be used to take the dew off the surface. We are hoping for a cracker of a game,” he concluded.