Chepauk’s red clay pitch raises the question of Indian selection: three seamers or three spinners?

Play three fast bowlers or three spinners? Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will have to make a call when they sit down to complete India’s XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts on September 19 in Chennai.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Chepauk pitch will be a red clay, with quality bounce and carry. The scorching temperatures in Chennai, however, will surely ensure that spin will play the upper hand as the Test wears on. However, the fast bowlers, understandably, are expected to be dangerous throughout the game as the pitch and conditions are expected to help reverses, too.

There have been discussions about whether India could use the Bangladesh series, and the subsequent New Zealand series, as a warm-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. And whether the BCCI will instruct the curators to prepare suitable places for the seamers. However, it is learned that no such message has been sent by the board or the management of the club.

The main difference between the two areas in 2021 is the nature of the soil. The first Test pitch consisted of only red clay and was not broken until the end of the match. The second Test pitch, however, had a base layer consisting of red clay and a top layer of black cotton clay, which began to crumble under the sun, allowing Ashwin, Jadeja and debutant Axar to dominate.

However, three years later, the Chepauk area is different. Of the nine squares in this square, three are made of red soil brought from Mumbai. The Mumbai variant, used at the Wankhede stadium, is known to facilitate real bounce in both fast and spin bowlers. India started practicing on both the red and black clay pitches located at the MA Chidambaram stadium, but on Monday, they practiced exclusively on the red clay pitch. Bangladesh, who arrived in this city yesterday, are still training on the black-soil pitch.

The chances of India fielding a third fast bowler are greater in Chennai than in Kanpur, the venue for the second Test. The Green Park pitch, made of black clay, is usually a turning track.