New Delhi: In the last 18 months, India’s home citadel in Test cricket has not only been breached, but dismantled with utter defiance by the spinners of New Zealand and South Africa. India were whitewashed 0-3 by New Zealand in 2024 and lost 0-2 to South Africa a year later. Defeats in those five Tests have left India at No. 6 in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, with their hopes of qualifying for the final hanging by a thread.The biggest lesson from these defeats is that the Indian team management is likely to move away from fielding angry Turners, TimesofIndia.com can confirm. If the 0-3 loss to New Zealand was an eye-opener, the 0-2 loss to South Africa prompted the management to opt for surfaces that were gradually crumbling instead. There have been several discussions in this regard, and it has also played a role in the selection of venues for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in 2027. The Indian team is not averse to twisting tracks but prefers surfaces that offer a gradual break over red clay surfaces that provide sharp turns, variable bounce and deform from day one — seen during the Eden Gardens Test against South Africa, which ended within three days. Black clay, mixed clay and traditional Indian pitches will be the way forward as the think tank wants the team to have the best chance. The Indian batsmen’s inability to play quality spin on turning tracks also played a role.
Milanpur, Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad are the venues for the next six home Tests, and have been chosen keeping in mind the pitches, clay and conditions.
BCCI Source
“Molanpur, Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad are the venues for India’s next six home Tests, and they have been carefully selected keeping in mind the pitch, soil and conditions. Most of these locations offer red, black and mixed clay options, but all of them can produce tracks that last up to five days. Our batsmen don’t seem comfortable playing on spinners that start breaking from day one, and the early finish is not broadcaster-friendly either,” a source keeping track of the developments told TimesofIndia.com.The first one-off of the six home Tests against Afghanistan begins in Milanpur on June 6, and is expected to have a traditional subcontinental flavour. The mercury will be high in this region, so special emphasis will be placed on preparing a surface that holds together under the unforgiving sun. A curator explained why Black Clay should move forward considering what the current management team wants.
The nature of red clay is such that it breaks rather than breaks. So black soil is the best condition for gradual disintegration. Again, if you try to change the pitch too close to the match, it will always backfire, so it’s best to set up the messaging well in advance.
BCCI Curator
“Milanpur also have a red clay option, if I’m not mistaken, but playing on a red soil at this temperature would not be a wise move. Black clay should be the best choice not only for the Afghanistan game but also for the home series against Australia. Guwahati has a mixed square, Chennai has a mixed square, Ranchi and Nagpur had good pitches the last time matches were played, and Ahmedabad gives you multiple options to choose from.An experienced curator explained, “The nature of red clay is that it will break sooner rather than later. So black clay is the best bet for a gradual breakdown. Again, if you try to change the pitch close to a match, it will always respond, so it’s best to have the messaging set up well in advance.”
Which pitch do you think will benefit the Indian batsmen the most?
India took a similar approach during the home Test against the West Indies, but decided to revert to Turners for the South Africa Test. The move backfired, resulting in another Test series defeat at home. Men who matter don’t want a repeat of the double shaming, and the sports pitch is the first step in that direction.
