Cape Town, Jan 1 (IANS) Indian batsmen will have something to look forward to at the third and the deciding Test match against South Africa starting Sunday as the track at the Newlands Stadium will help them on the first two days.
Evan Flint, chief curator, said that the final Test match will be played ‘on a good pitch that will last five days.’
Newlands has always offered a flat wicket that is batsman-friendly and also has the highest average score, 338.2, for any ground in the country that has hosted more than one Test.
Flint said that the pitch won’t change its nature from the previous years.
‘The pitch won’t change too much from previous years. I would love to get the same bounce as grounds like SuperSport Park and the Wanderers. The type of bounce we get is different; it’s more of a tennis-ball bounce,’ said Flint.
‘South Africa generally want to get pace and bounce out of their pitches at home and I am aware of the home team’s desire to exploit their own conditions. I would like to create a surface that South Africa can get a good result on, but I’ve just got to do the best I can, and hopefully South Africa can play to their strengths.’
Flint said that there is still some work to be done as the weather has not assisted him.
‘It’s still not 100 percent, which is a little bit disappointing. It’s been very windy and quite cloudy; a bit cooler than usual, but we still need another really good day of sun,’ he said.
