Sanjay Bangar expects grassy pitch for Antigua Test

Sanjay Bangar (right) is the batting coach of the Indian Cricket Team for the on-going West Indies tour

Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that the players are ready for both slow and lively wickets ahead of the first Test against the West Indies. He even feels that the pitch might be left with a certain amount of grass on it. As per the reports of The Times of India the pitch at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua looks much alike the ones in the subcontinent with patches of grass to hold the wicket. It is expected that the pitch will become more spinner friendly as the match progresses. The Indians do have a strong spin attack but their batting was not up to the mark in the recent warm-up game against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI as part-time bowler Rahkeem Cornwall took 5 wickets.

The former India batsman was quoted by the Times of India, "We are seeing some grass cover on the pitch now and we won't be surprised if there is some grass left on the pitch when the match begins. But how much of it remains on surface remains to be seen. We have also prepared keeping in mind that some grassy wickets slow down as the game progresses. So, we are aware of that and have prepared accordingly."

This is the first tour for the Indian cricket team under the new coach Anil Kumble. There has been much confusion regarding the coach selection in the past few weeks which has shifted the focus off the field. It will be interesting to see how well India performs in the Caribbean.

Sanjay Bangar feels that the team has prepared well for the Test series and even stated that the players will deal with all the situations that crop up during the game. “We have had very good preparation, both in the camp in Bangalore and in the last two practice matches in St. Kitts. I don't remember the last time we had got so much time to prepare for a Test series in the past 2-3 years.”

"We have prepared for different conditions and situations that we can encounter in a match, and we have discussed our plans and execution. We have tried to work out all angles possible and the time we have had has been very useful in terms of preparation as well as team bonding," he added.

India plays a four-match Test series against West Indies. The last two Test series in the Caribbean have been won by India and the Virat Kohli-led Indian team would be eyeing a third Test series in a trot. The first Test begins on 21 July 2016, in Antigua.