Cuttack, Nov 05: With New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming blasting the triangular series itinerary and the quality of pitches, the track at the Barabati stadium has come under scrutiny as the winless Kiwis clash with India in a crucial match tomorrow. The heavy showers during the last three days has cast an element of doubt on how the Barabati track would behave during the day-night encounter.
The showers have left the outfield heavy and the dew factor may play a crucial role in the evening making things difficult for the team batting second.
Though the pitch was expected to be better in the afternoon, the ball might travel slowly after sunset.
However, curator Prabir Mukherjee said "the pitch will be full of bounce but as the top soil is a bit thin the track may take turn later on".
Fleming had yesterday blamed the early morning starts, which provided a lot of assistance to the fast bowlers, for the his side's poor performance, saying the tournament organisers had prepared the fixture to suit India's interest.
Bureau Report