Chepauk's red-soil pitch presents India with a choice: three seamers or three spinners?

Should they play three fast bowlers or three spinners? That is a decision Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will have to make when they sit down to finalise India's XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19 in Chennai.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the Chepauk pitch will be made of red soil and will offer good bounce and carry properties. However, the sweltering temperatures in Chennai will ensure that spin will play the dominant role throughout the Test. However, the fast bowlers are expected to pose a threat throughout the match as the pitch and conditions are also expected to favour reverse swing.

India are likely to play with five bowlers, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja certain to start. The contenders for the fifth spot are Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep and Yash Dayal, the only left-arm seamer in the team.

Incidentally, the last time India fielded three fast bowlers in a home Test was also against Bangladesh in Kolkata in 2019. In fact, it is also the only home series since the start of the World Test Championship where India fielded their XI with three fast bowlers. With the focus on getting a positive result and securing one of the top two spots in the WTC points table and thereby securing a place in the final, the host teams have relied on their strengths. In India's case, this meant fielding two seamers and three spinners.

India is also considering the idea of adding a third fast bowler as the team has an eye on the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22. While Mohammed Shami, who is close to returning to fitness, is expected to partner Bumrah and Siraj in that tournament, the selectors are keen to find at least three more fast bowlers for the team.

There was some speculation about whether India would use the Bangladesh series and even the New Zealand series that followed as a preparation ground for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. And whether the BCCI would instruct the curators to prepare player-friendly pitches. However, it is known that neither the board nor the team management has sent any such message.

The nature of the pitches at Chepauk has changed completely since India last played a Test match here – the first two Tests of the England series in 2021. England won the first Test on the fifth day on a pitch that the curator had promised would be a “typical Chepauk pitch with an English look”.

The Indian spinners were upset by the flat surface. The standard setting was restored in the second Test and England failed to cross 200 in either innings as home favourite Ashwin scored a century and took a five-for and Rohit scored a majestic 161 to help India level the series.

The main difference between the two surfaces in 2021 was the nature of the ground. The pitch for the first Test was all red soil and didn't cave in until late in the match. However, the pitch for the second Test had a base layer of red soil and a top layer of black cotton soil that started to crumble under the sun, allowing Ashwin, Jadeja and debutant Axar to dominate.

Three years later, however, the surface at Chepauk looks different. Three of the nine pitches on the ground are made of red earth, which is sourced from Mumbai. The Mumbai variety used at the Wankhede Stadium is known to provide good bounce for both fast and spin bowlers. India began their practice on the red and black earth pitches available on the ground at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, but on Monday they practiced exclusively on a red earth pitch. Bangladesh, who arrived in the city yesterday, have been practicing on a black earth pitch so far.

The likelihood of India using a third fast bowler is higher in Chennai than in Kanpur, the venue for the second Test. The Green Park pitch, which is made of black soil, is generally a turning track.

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