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[Saba Sports News] The two-match Test series between India and South Africa is about to kickstart with the first fixture scheduled to begin on December 26 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.
However, the weather in Centurion is likely to not hold up well at least for the first two days of the Test. Various weather forecast portals have predicted heavy rain in Centurion on December 26 and 27, increasing the chances of the match ending in a draw.
“Temperature will be super low, like 20 degrees. The temperature is now 34 and it will drop to 20. I don’t know what conditions will be like, whether we will get play on Day 1,” Centurion pitch curator Bryan Bloy said as quoted to PTI.
“Hopefully we will get some play and it will be cool on Day 3 and I don’t know how much turn will be available,” he added.
While the pitch is already very green in colour due to heavy coverage of grass, rain could make the conditions even tougher for batting.
“I can’t guarantee the forecast but if it remains under cover for the better part of the two days then that might be tricky to bat first, because its been covered for so long and hasn’t been rolled for so long, we don’t know how long we will have to get the field ready for play in current situation.
“So if it’s a Day-3, 10 am start, it doesn’t give us much time, because it’s in the morning and you start playing at 10 and really three hours of cool weather and early morning will be tricky. If its covered for two days, I would presume bowlers would benefit from it,” the curator shared.
Bloy intends to produce a typical Centurion wicket, which as per him, gets quicker with the progression of play.
“Our goal is to stick to the characteristics, not do anything different or out of the ordinary. I want it to be typical hard wicket as per Centurion’s conditions. The wicket is quite green and we have got two more days and its hot, with a bit more rolling, it would lose a bit more colour, but I am happy that there is a thin even coverage of grass. Looks good.
“A typical Supersport Park wicket is slower on Day 1, little bit softer and as time goes by it gets a bit quicker and it gets variable. For me, fourth day afternoon finish would always be fantastic but that’s out of my control. We prepare the stage and players will have to come out and put the show,” Bloy concluded.