If the curators of the ground -- Ashok Joshi and Taposh Chattejee -- are to be believed, they have made a batting beauty for the opener which will set the tone for the three-match series.
"There is no doubt that it would be a fine batting wicket. People come to watch runs in ODIs and we won't disappoint them," Joshi said. Fellow curator Chatterjee said the surface looks in great shape and would be ideal for strokeplay.
"We have kept grass on the wicket and underneath too which will help in binding the soil. We had watered it adequately and we are rolling it to help it dry. "A little of evaporation and rolling pulls out the moisture from underneath, which means the ball will come on to the bat," he said.
Chatterjee said keeping in mind last year's Kotla pitch fiasco, they were extra careful while preparing the pitch. "The Kotla episode was a lesson for all of us. We had a trial match last month on this wicket. Former India pacer and now Rajasthan coach Manoj Prabhakar's too was watching the match. We got feedback from players as well as Prabhakar. He was all praise for the wicket," he said.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the recent terror threats against foreign players visiting India, a multi layered security set-up has been placed in and around the stadium.
Both the India and South Africa are scheduled to arrive here this evening for the match.
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