Mohali track remains grass-covered mystery three days before 1st Test

The grass-covered Mohali pitch on Monday, India captain Virat Kohli during India’s practice session

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the nature of the Mohali pitch at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, where India and South Africa will lock horns for the 1st Test from Thursday. While the major concern for the South Africans appears to be that the pitch is unnaturally dry, the amount of grass still left on the pitch will be worrisome for the Indians.

While the grass can perhaps be taken off the pitch in the coming days, in consultation with the Indian team management, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis has said that his team are ‘prepared for the worst’ – that the track will offer a lot of turn from Day 1 itself.

Du Plessis said, after an inspection of the pitch, “It looks dry than a pitch normally looks. That's all I can say. We are expecting the worst. We are expecting big spin on day one, and if we come to day one and it does that, it's not a matter of, 'Oh it's spinning, what do we do now?'"

However, very recently, PCA secretary general MP Pandove had made it clear, in an interview with Times of India, that the association will provide a ‘good cricketing wicket’ for the series opener.

"We have tried our best to make a good cricketing wicket. It has something for everybody," Pandove had said. "The wicket will help fast bowlers initially and after the third day, the spinners will come in handy," he had asserted.

A grassy veil on a rank turner?

The Mohali pitch has a reputation of offering good and true bounce, unlike most other Indian pitches. On the basis of what the track looks like at present, the same might be true of it in the 1st Test as well.

But after the controversy over the Mumbai pitch in the 5th ODI, the ground curator might play it safe as well. India have their premier fast bowler Ishant Sharma ruled out of the Test, and in his absence, have off-spinner Ravi Ashwin to look towards as the surest source of wickets.

MS Dhoni, the now retired Test captain, has been saying for a long time that Indian pitches need to tailored so that they offer spinners help from the first day itself. What can be inferred from the ‘unnatural dryness’ of the pitch is that his advice might just have been taken.

The pitch might just turn out to be what is called a rank turner, for now hidden beneath a veil of grass.