Durban, Dec. 22: When all the conditions conspire together, there are not many seam-friendly tracks that are menacing as Kingsmead, the venue for the second Test beginning on Sunday. It was here that India were bowled out for just 66 by the Proteas in 1996, and they weren’t much better than that in their second essay either.
The pitch at the Kingsmead is so green that it’s hard to make it out from the rest of the ground from the boundary. The prospect of South African new-ball bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel on this track is a scary one for the Indian batsmen, despite their fighting second innings score of 459 in their loss in the first Test at Centurion.
There is some hope though. “Green pitch means bowling-friendly conditions usually, but it’s not like that at Durban. If the south-westerly is blowing, Durban weather becomes humid and it will obviously make the conditions more suited to seam,” Kingsmead pitch curator told this newspaper on Wednesday.
“But when the north-easterly is blowing, Kingsmead flattens out into a batting wicket that resembles a road.
There is usually some movement on Day One of the Tests here, particularly in the morning session, but there have been instances in the past when the team batting first gets the better of conditions. The Australians that came here last year, built up a massive opening stand before ending the day in a commanding position. But they returned the next morning and were bowled out shortly after lunch.
And then just to prove that the conditions really were tough, South Africa conspired to lose seven wickets before the close.
“It was the north-easterly blowing on Day One, but it changed direction next morning. That’s why,” added.
In 2005, England were bowled out for 139 on the first day of the Test, but were able to score over 500 in the second innings.
It’s this sort of inconsistency that could have a detrimental impact on India’s chances, one way or the other. The result could well depend which way the wind blows, literally.