India vs England 2016/17: Run fest expected at Cuttack; dew to play a big role later in the game

What’s the story?

Just like the first ODI, the wicket for the second ODI between India and England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will be batsmen-friendly. But, there are concerns over the possibility of dew playing a big role in determining the outcome of the match.

"There has been heavy dew every evening for the past few days. We are prepared with Super Soppers and ropes. The groundsmen here are very experienced and I am sure they will try their best to handle the situation,” BCCI East Zone pitch curator, Ashish Bhowmick said.

“It's a bit batsman friendly... but Barabati wicket is generally sporting, so the bounce will be good. There's a little for the spinners too. They could get good bounce. It's a balanced wicket,” said Cuttack pitch curator Pankaj Patnaik.

In case you didn’t know...

After beating England by 3 wickets in the first ODI, the Indian team, along with their England counterparts are yet to arrive in Cuttack. This is because of the unavailability of rooms in the hotel where the teams were supposed to stay as they have already been booked for wedding purposes.

Ahead of the ODI on Thursday, the teams will arrive in the city on Wednesday morning and will have a practice session at 4 PM.

The heart of the matter

Yet again, the curator has rolled out a wicket that promises to be a belter. This will be an advantage for both the teams as both India and England have really strong batting lineups. India’s Virat Kohli is in sublime form as he scored a century in a 200-run partnership with Kedar Jadhav in the first ODI and helped India chase down 351 from 63-4. The other members of the team, who failed in the first outing, will look to make amends in the second ODI.

Meanwhile, dew is expected to play a major role as it is expected to come down from 5:30 PM. If this is the case, the toss will be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of the match. But, the Odisha Cricket Association is doing it’s best to make sure that the dew stays away and its impact is minimised.

What’s next?

The last time an international match was played at Cuttack, the behaviour of the crowd was a major talking point as they threw bottles on the ground after India crumbled to just 92 against South Africa in a T20I match in 2015. This time, the OCA has security arrangements in place to avoid such behaviour.

India will look to beat England and seal the series going into the third ODI at Kolkata.

Sportskeeda’s Take

With the surface set to be a belter and chances of dew later in the game, the team winning the toss will be tempted to bowl first. In all likelihood, cricket fans are set to witness yet another high-scoring thriller. The overs that will be bowled by the Indian spinners will decide the fate of the game.