When India and West Indies clash in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC World T20 on Thursday, the same Wankhede pitch will not be as flat and will also not see T20 proportionate of as many runs as the South Africans scored that day.
Last October, when India last played an international game at the Wankhede Stadium, India team director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun cried foul on the nature of the pitch. It was a flat surface in which South Africa posted a mammoth 438 on winning the toss with Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis scoring a century each, and later skittled out MS Dhoni's men to win by 214 runs in an ODI.
When India and West Indies clash in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC World T20 on Thursday, the same Wankhede pitch will not be as flat and will also not see T20 proportionate of as many runs as the South Africans scored that day.
It is learnt that the pitch will be slightly in favour of India. It was also understood that there will be an even coating of grass on the pitch which is more to bind the top layer. So, don't expect last-minute shaving of the grass as is generally made to believe before India games.
The surface will not be the same high-scoring ones as in the previous T20 games that Wankhede hosted two weeks ago.
One thing is assured – that it will be a good T20 wicket with India having the advantage.
The behaviour of the pitch over different temperatures will also be studied on Wednesday too, the eve of the match, what with the mercury soaring and it having an impact on the way the track will behave. The semifinal will begin at 7pm and not 7.30pm as was seen in the league stage.
In the three T20 games that were played at the Wankhede, England were involved in the second highest successful run-chase in a T20I after South Africa set them a target of 230 only two days after Gayle tore the English bowling to shreds with the third fastest T20I hundred off 47 balls. In the other game, Afghanistan threatened to overhaul South Africa's 209 to fall short by 37 runs.
Interestingly, the first three highest totals in this edition have been at the Wankhede – England's 230/8 against South Africa in reply to the Proteas' 229/4 and 209/5 by Faf du Plessis's men from the Rainbow Nation. Mumbai also figures five times in the list of first 10 highest totals in this tournament.
From what well-informed sources have said in the lead up to the key clash, a total in the range of 160-170 would be good to defend. This would mean the spinners would play a huge role in their team's entry into the title round.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Wankhade Stadium")
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}