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- 'The wicket will help fast bowlers initially and after the wear and tear the spinners will become handy on the pitch.'
Punjab Cricket Association on Friday said they will prepare a sporting wicket for next week's opening Test match between India and South Africa at Mohali with the pitch expected to help fast bowlers initially and the spinners also coming into play later on, in the five-day match.
"We have tried our best to make a good cricketing wicket. It has something for everybody whether the batsmen or the bowlers," Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) secretary M P Pandove said on Friday.
"The wicket will help fast bowlers initially and after the wear and tear the spinners will become handy on the pitch. It's a good five-day wicket," he added.
The Indian team, which has lost both the T20I and the ODI series against the visiting South Africans, will be looking forward to make amends under the leadership of Virat Kohli in the first Test, to be played at the Punjab Cricket Assocation stadium, in Mohali, from November 5-9.
Pandove said that the South African team will be arriving in Mohali on November 1, while the hosts will reach on November 2, a day after attending the wedding reception of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Monday in Delhi. Harbhajan got married to actor Geeta Basra on October 29.
Surprisingly, the sale of tickets has got a lukewarm response with around 1000 tickets sold so far, and Pandove claimed they are looking to cut down the price of tickets to attract more fans to the stadium.
"Sale of tickets (for Test matches) of late has reduced drastically and it is a real problem. Efforts should be made to reduce the prices of tickets," he said.
On possibility of rain affecting the match, he said that the drainage system of the PCA ground is so good that even if it rains for two consecutive days, the ground would be ready for play within two hours.
He said that the city has already experienced some pre-winter showers and the weather is unlikely to play a spoilsport during the match.