Duleep Trophy: How Anantapur will prepare India for Australia tour
The Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, known for its pace-friendly conditions, is set to host the 2024 Duleep Trophy. This ground, which will host five games, has been largely overlooked for top-tier cricket for nearly a decade. However, it has now caught the Board of Control for Cricket in India's attention ahead of the impending Border-Gavaskar Trophy. As per an Indian Express report, pacers have been outperforming spinners here, unlike most of the grounds in India.
Anantapur honors board studded with fast bowlers
The Indian Express highlighted that the honors board at the Rural Development Trust Stadium is studded with fast bowlers. Karnataka's KP Appanna remains the only spinner to have taken five-wicket haul at this venue. The other 15 players on this board are all seamers. Appanna, a left-arm spinner recorded figures worth 5/79 playing for Karnataka against Andhra in the 2006/07 season.
Rich cricketing culture
Despite the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment, Anantapur has a rich cricketing culture. Moncho Ferrer, director of programs at the Rural Development Trust (RDT), highlighted that while high-level cricket is rare, the grounds are frequently used for inter-district and inter-state matches. The upcoming Duleep Trophy marks a significant return of mainstream cricket to this region after an 11-year hiatus from hosting First-Class matches.
Anantapur's unique pitch and construction
The Anantapur cricket ground, managed by the RDT with support from the Andhra Cricket Association, is known for its bouncy pitches. Between 2004 and 2013, it hosted 15 matches where pace bowlers took a staggering 345 wickets compared to just 96 by spinners. The ground's design was inspired by Australian venues like Perth, known for fast pitches.
Innovative pitch construction and maintenance at Anantapur
The pitch construction at Anantapur Cricket Ground involved innovative methods from Australia and South Africa. Despite resource limitations due to the region's drought-prone nature, effective resource management strategies have been implemented, including using a specific type of grass that can withstand high temperatures. Moreover, pure black soil was also imported from Amalapuram near Kakinada, which has a high clay content similar to conditions in Perth and Adelaide.
Indian bowlers would be raring to go
The pitches at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in the impending Duleep Trophy will certainly help Team India batters and bowlers acclimatize to Australian conditions early. Mohammed Siraj, who will be pivotal to India's pace attack, would want to make the most of these games. Bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna can also stake a claim for the upcoming tour.
India look forward to Perth Test
It is worth noting that Perth will host the first of five-Test series between hosts Australia and India. The Perth wicket is deemed as the world's bounciest. The Gabba and MCG will pose India a similar challenge.
