A more benign surface awaits India and West Indies when the second – and final – Test begins at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on 10 October. Unlike the lively, red-soil deck in Ahmedabad that produced a three-day finish, Delhi’s pitch has a black-soil base, thin patches of grass and a reputation for slowing up as it bakes in the afternoon sun. Curators expect runs on days one and two, before the cracks open and slow turn comes into play.
“We’ve left just enough grass to hold the surface together,” a senior Delhi ground staffer said on Tuesday. “By the back end of the match you’ll see the spinners getting natural variation.”
The switch in character should give West Indies a breather after their innings-and-140-run defeat last week. Choosing to bat on one of the greenest strips seen in India since the World Test Championship began, they were hustled out for 114 and 138 in a combined 89.2 overs as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj exploited seam and bounce.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite admitted the side “didn’t adapt quickly enough” in Ahmedabad but believes Delhi could be different. “Black soil tends to play slower,” he said. “If we occupy the crease we can post a score and put India under pressure.”
India, meanwhile, are not reading too much into the surface. “It still looks a good cricket wicket,” head coach Rahul Dravid observed during Monday’s practice. “You’ll have to bowl well for rewards and, later on, your spinners come into it.”
Historical data backs him up. The ground last hosted a Test in February 2023, when Australia folded for 263 and 113 on a slow turner; India chased 115 with six wickets in hand. Boundaries are noticeably shorter here and the outfield quick, factors that could amplify any advantage for the side batting first.
Both camps have resisted talk of wholesale changes. India are expected to stick with three quicks and two spinners, with the option of replacing a seamer once the surface reveals itself. West Indies are pondering an extra spinner – left-arm orthodox Gudakesh Motie offers control – but will decide after a final look on match morning.
However the XIs line up, spectators should brace for contrasting phases: stroke-making early, careful accumulation in the middle, and, if the match stretches, a possible fourth-day scrap against low bounce and turn. As Dravid put it, “Good Test cricket often hinges on adjusting to conditions, and this pitch promises a bit of everything.”
