Dew won't play a big role at 'low and slow' Green Park

Kanpur: Dew won't play as major role as it played in the preceding T20 series and it will be a typical low and slow wicket for the opening ODI between India and South Africa at the Green Park stadium here on Sunday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, speaking post the washout of the Kolkata T20 last night, said that he would not want grassy pitches for the five ODIs but local officials overseeing the pitch preparations for the series opener here won't pay heed to Dhoni's demand and ready a wicket that is "good for the game".

"The players can ask for whatever they want to but curators always try to prepare a wicket that produces a good game. The nature of the pitch here is low and slow and it will be no different this time. You can't change how the pitch behaves in a few days. All you can try to do is prepare a pitch that has a bit for both bowlers and batsmen," a source privy to pitch preparations told PTI.

Going by what curator Shiv Kumar and co are dishing out for the day game, the surface will bring the Indian spinners into play and that is something Dhoni would want after losing the T20 series.

India, who had four specialist spinners - R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh - in the T20 squad, will be a spinner less in the 50-over unit with Harbhajan missing out. And a 9 am start means dew won't be a major factor though the faster bowlers will get some help early on, enough to make opposition strike bowlers Morne Merkel and Dale Steyn excited.

"Unlike the T20s, dew won't have much of an impact in this game. The dew is there only in morning and evening. Having said that, the pitch will be covered ahead of the game, so there will be some dampness that may aid the faster bowlers. Later on, the spinners will get purchase from the surface. It is going to be a good wicket overall," added the source.

India enjoy a good record at Green Park, having won 9 out of 12 games played. They played their last game almost two years ago, beating the West Indies comfortably courtesy a blazing hundred from Shikhar Dhawan.