Kanpur pitch curator says the pitch for the first India-New Zealand Test will be a slow turner

As has been the case before the start of any home season in India in the past few years, the 22-yards comes under the scanner and the case is no different this time around as India get set to battle New Zealand for a three-match Test series.

With just a week to go for the start of the opening Test in Kanpur, The curator at the venue Shiv Kumar has said that the wicket will be a turner and the batsman will need to show application in order to score runs in the middle.

“I am preparing a wicket which will have ample opportunity for batsmen and spinners. A spinning track in the series opener will give India the perfect start and the Kiwi batsmen will have to apply themselves to stay at the wicket as it is going to be a slow turner again,” Kumar told the Hindustan Times.

Test cricket will return to the venue after a gap of seven years and a match that is remembered often is when India played a game there was against South Africa in 2008. The game proved to be a three-day affair as the Indian spinners dominated proceedings on a rank turner, picking up 13 out of the 20 wickets and leading the team to a series-levelling win.

Sourav Ganguly was the top scorer in that game for either sides making a gutsy 87 as MS Dhoni, filling in for an injured Anil Kumble, registered his first-ever win as Test captain.

Last year, the two sides were involved in an ODI, which the Proteas won by 5 runs on what proved to be a fine batting wicket, with in excess of 600 runs being scored on the day.

On Tuesday, in a press conference in New Delhi, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had said that the Kiwis had three good spinners as well and he expected a good contest.

“We have our three very good spinners as well. It should be a good contest. We know it will be a challenge. India in their home is one of the toughest challenges in the game, particularly in the Test format. So the team are excited to get involved and look to adapt, having come from South Africa, Zimbabwe where conditions are quite different," he said.

It now remains to be seen how big an impact the trio can have in the opening Test next week.