Wankhede Stadium curator says pitch for the India-West Indies semifinal would be a sporting one

We are done with the Group stages of the 2016 ICC World T20 and its time for the semifinals. The encounter that will be of keen interest for most Indian fans will be the one on Thursday when hosts India face off against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

As has been the case during the duration of the tournament, the pitch at this venue has been much talked about, thanks to his placidness and if sources in the Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) are to be believed, then the strip on offer for this important match would be a “sporting” one.

"The centre wicket is being prepared for the clash. It is a sporting wicket on which batsmen will enjoy hitting on the rise while the pitch will have some amount of bounce," the curator at the stadium Ramesh Mhamunkar told mid-day on Monday.

Incidentally, the centre wicket is the one where South Africa made 438 for 4 in the 5th ODI against India in October last year in a match that saw Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers smash centuries and then bowled out India for 224 to win the match and the series in emphatic fashion.

It is also a game that is remembered for Ravi Shastri expressing displeasure over the surface offered for the decider between the two teams.

All the matches played thus far at the venue have been high-scoring affairs. The West Indies chased down England’s target of 182 with ease, thanks a to 47-ball hundred from Chris Gayle, South Africa’s total of 229 for 6 was chased down in thrilling fashion by England and then Afghanistan came a bit too close than what the Proteas would have expected them to, reaching 172 in pursuit of 209.

Speaking about the dimensions of the ground, the curator added that unlike a few other grounds in India, the size of the boundaries in Wankhede are smaller and so it would be easier for the batsman to hit fours and sixes.

“Other grounds have 81-yard boundaries which are nine to 10 yards more than Wankhede Stadium so it will be easy for batsmen to score fours and sixes here,” he said.