Tue Sep 17 16:43:57 UTC 2024: ## India Prepares for Spin in Chennai Test Despite Pacer-Friendly Pitch
**Chennai, India:** The Indian cricket team is gearing up for the first Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on Thursday, despite the pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium being more conducive to fast bowling.
After two days of practice on a red-soil pitch, the team shifted its focus to a black-soil wicket on Tuesday, anticipating the pitch to become more spin-friendly as the match progresses.
The extreme heat in Chennai, with temperatures touching the late 30s, is expected to cause the pitch to deteriorate, leading to more turn for spinners as the Test match progresses. This comes as a concern for the Indian batsmen, who struggled against Sri Lankan spinners in the recent white-ball series.
“The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, that we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit,” acknowledged India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
The team is expected to hold an optional net session on Wednesday. However, the selection for the first Test remains uncertain, with the management having to choose between a third spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, or a third pacer, either Akash Deep or Yash Dayal.
While the Chennai pitch is likely to favor fast bowlers, India might opt for a three-pacer strategy in the first Test, a move that could be part of their preparation for the upcoming tour of Australia.
First Piper 