Bat first to be safe, says curator at Cuttack

On a high after sealing the seven-match series 4-0 with the win in Bangalore, Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co arrived in sleepy Cuttack this afternoon. Predictably, they stayed indoors for the rest of the day.

The security cover around the team was even tighter than normal, perhaps keeping the Kalinga Sena episode — when Greg Chappell was assaulted by a fan — in mind.

As far as the fifth one-dayer goes, the curator Pankaj Patnaik said that dew might prove to be a factor in the day-night encounter, and suggested that the team that won the toss would probably play it safe by opting to bat first.

Batting pitch

Less than a month after Barabati Stadium hosted the four-day-long Challenger Trophy, Patnaik reckons the wicket will be hard. “The pitch is looking good, it’s compact. It’s a sporting wicket, no doubt, and the bowlers will get good bounce here. But at the end of the day, it’s a one-day match and the pitch will be batsman-friendly.”


Source: cricket.expressindia.com