No pitch worries for India, South Africa

Dry, turning wickets expected to be prepared for Test series.

MOHALI: Indian captain Virat Kohli and his South African counterpart Hashim Amla on Wednesday attempted to douse the fire over dry, turning wickets that are likely to be prepared for the Test series.

The build-up to the four-match series, which opens in Mohali on Thursday, has centred around India’s preference to play on rank turners to defeat the world’s number one Test side.

Kohli said too much was being made of the wicket, while Amla said the tourists expected nothing less than a pitch that would help spinners when playing a Test in India.

“Pitches are never the focus when we tour abroad,” said Kohli, who will go out to toss on Thursday on his 27th birthday.

He said only the International Cricket Council could establish a uniform rule about pitch quality. “If certain conditions are expected, you prepare for that, just like we do,” said Kohli.

Amla said he was proud of South Africa’s record of not having lost a series abroad since 2006.

The top-order batsman, who captains only in Test matches even though he is a key member of the limited-overs squad, said it was only fair for home nations to prepare wickets that suit them.

“It doesn’t really matter to us what sort of wicket we get,” said Amla. “Playing India in India is one of the tougher challenges for any team and we relish the thought of coming out on top.”

South Africa have not won a Test series on Indian soil since 2000, having drawn 1-1 on its last two visits in 2008 and 2010. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2015.

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