Pitch to offer low bounce, assist spinners in final Test

Nagpur, Nov 3 (UNI) The pitch of the newly constructed Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium here, where the fourth and final Test between India and Australia will be played from November 6, is expected to offer low bounce and assist the spinners midway through the match.

''It's a brick-based pitch topped with a combination of stones used for construction of dwellings, clay and garden soil. It's expected to offer low bounce and would be generally slow paced,'' VCA sources told mediapersons here yesterday.

After the third match ended in a tame draw in Delhi yesterday, the Aussies still have a chance to win the match and square the series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So, winning the toss and batting first would be a major plus.

''The central square has been used to play five matches, of three and four-days' duration, basically selection trials for choosing the Vidarbha Ranji Trophy squad. The last tie was held 25 days ago,'' the sources said.

They further added that the pitch for the tie has, since then, been watered and continuously rolled and is unlikely to crack though spinners should get purchase from the wicket midway through the five-day series decider, to be played at the newly-constructed stadium in Jamtha on the Nagpur-Hyderabad road on November 6.

Both the teams will reach Nagpur today evening and then have a two-day practice, in the run-up to the last Test, at the VCA's old stadium in Civil Lines.

UNI XC PY RSA SK BD1325