Dew a concern as Ekana awaits memorable debut
After much deliberation by the authorities, including BCCI chief curator Daljit Singh, pitch No 6 of the Ekana International Cricket Stadium has been chosen to host the first international match here when India play West Indies in the second T20I on Tuesday.
Local officials were in two minds whether to offer a batsmen-friendly pitch but finally everyone agreed on the strip that promises equal opportunities to both sides. The game is expected to be a competitive one as the black soil, composed of Odisha’s Bolangir soil, should produce good bounce.
With a steep fall in day temperatures for the last two days, smog as well as fog hangs low on the stadium. So dew under lights is likely to make a big difference for the team fielding second as the ball would be skidding on the surface and bowlers will find it hard to grip it. The 75-yard boundary would be the other worry for the two sides as batsmen will have to work hard to accumulate runs.
“It’s a balanced pitch for both teams. One has to work hard for runs as clearing the boundary with lofty shots won’t be easy on a surface like this,” said one of the local curators.
UPCA curators are hopeful of a good match. “The outfield is perfect and fast, but dew won’t allow the ball to race towards boundary quickly. Nowadays, the dew is coming at 5:30pm and the match starts at 7pm,” he said.