India is all set to play Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai starting September 19 and it is likely that a red soil pitch will be used for the encounter.
Cricket pitches are predominantly made with a composition of soil and sand among the other contents such as slit. The composition of these materials is what determines how a pitch will behave at the start and as the innings progresses during the duration of a match.
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In this article, The Sporting News tells you the difference between a red soil and black soil pitch in cricket, and why Chennai is predominantly likely to use a red soil surface for the India vs Bangladesh 1st Test match.
What is the difference between a Red-soil pitch and a Black soil pitch?
How a pitch would assist the batters and bowlers is highly dependent on the factor of how a pitch has been made. It is mostly a combination of clay, salt composition, slit and fine sand, with a composition of about 50%, 5%, 20%, and 20%, respectively. The elements can be changed by the pitch curators according to the need of a match and format.
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Red Soil pitch:
A red soil wicket in cricket has a low clay content which results in low water absorption capacity in the pitch and less elasticity. A red soil wicket, due to low water absorption capacity dries sooner and is prone to crumble and break up early on in the games.
They also produce good bounce. With more wear and tear, they keep both the batters and bowlers in contention for the match, in different phases.
The soil is likely to depart off the pitch as dust, which is usually evident when a bowler bowls on about the third day of the Test. The earlier the soil comes off, the earlier it begins to aid turn and assist the spinners.
While the batters will enjoy a relatively flat surface at the start, spinners will begin dominating on the wicket once the cracks begin to appear on the pitch.
Black Soil pitch:
A black soil wicket is made up of higher clay content, which helps the pitch to absorb more water, and the pitch usually remains intact for a longer time.
This leads to elasticity on the wicket, which produces an uneven bounce which is why a batter is advised to take his time to settle in and adapt to the surface, particularly on used wickets.
Once a batter gets familiar with the surface, it is generally easy for them to pile on big runs. They also generally don't have a lot of wear and tear and stay consistent through the games.
These pitches hold up well and pitches are less susceptible to breaking up easily. However, this also means that the ball will grip on the surface and can turn right from the first few overs of the match.
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Why is Chennai expected to use a red soil pitch over a black soil one for the IND vs BAN first Test?
With the Chennai groundsmen laying off a red soil pitch for the first Test would basically mean that the wicket is designed to predominantly assist the spinners starting from around the Day 3 of the Test, as is normally seen in Chennai.
On the other hand, the Bangladesh team generally play on a slow, black soil pitch back home, which is almost entirely curated for the spinners to dominate.
However, looking at the quality and depth of spin options both teams possess, it is expected to be an intriguing match, especially, as the match progresses.
What are the Test squads for the India vs Bangladesh Test series?
Both teams possess four specialist spinners each in their Test squad for the upcoming two-match series, who can cause damage to the opposition team's batting, particularly if the pitch turns out in their favour.
India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
Bangladesh Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (WK), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali
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