At Newlands, curator Evan Flint faced water shortage to prepare the ground to his liking. Yet, he managed to produce a wicket that had seam, pace and bounce. At SuperSport Park, newly-appointed groundsman Bryan Bloy came up with a surface that was more suited to the Indians -- less pace, bounce and limited lateral movement. Bloy blamed it on the scorching heat that had burnt the grass on the pitch.
At the Wanderers, Bethuel Buthelezi has faced no such issues while preparing the pitch for the third and final Test here. He has faced no water crisis and neither has it rained to affect his preparation. He has left a thick grass cover and he says he may cut some of it a day before the match starts on Wednesday. The grass cover is so thick that even if shave off some, there will be enough left to keep the South African pacemen excited.
"Everything is going good with my preparation. I have the sunshine and no rain. The pitch will have pace and bounce. I will be cutting some grass before the match starts but there will be more pace and bounce than lateral movement. The ball will nip away a bit," says Buthelezi who has been in-charge of Wanderers' ground for the last 34 years and is only the second black to be head groundsman in the country.
"Everybody will be happy playing here at the Wanderers Stadium," said Buthelezi but try telling that to the Indian team who made their first visit to the ground on Saturday and would have had long, hard look at the wicket.
Team manager Sunil Subramaniam held a brief discussion with Bethulezi while Ravindra Jadeja was seen chatting him for a long while. Having seen the pitch from the closest quarter, the left-arm spinner would be happy he is nowhere in the reckoning to play the Test.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis wasn't happy with the nature of the pitch at Centurion and Bethulezi assured he will give no reason for the home to complain again about the pitch.
"Yes, I've got to keep them happy. They'll be happy. It's a result pitch."
