Mitchell Santner Confirms India vs New Zealand Pitch Status After Reaching The Venue

Mitchell Santner [Source: X]

Captain Mitchell Santner provided a massive update on the India Vs New Zealand pitch after reaching the Narendra Modi Stadium, the venue for the T20 World Cup final. The Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand will lock horns with India in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, March 8. 

The BlackCaps enjoyed stellar success in the semifinal, crushing South Africa by 9 wickets to qualify for the ultimate clash. As both teams prepare for the T20 World Cup final, the India Vs New Zealand pitch has grabbed the maximum attention. 

Mix-soil strip to be used in Ahmedabad for IND Vs NZ final

India suffered two of the most heartbreaking defeats, against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final and against South Africa in the ongoing T20 World Cup, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Interestingly, a black-soil pitch was used on both these occasions. 

So, as reported by Express Sports, a mix-soil pitch with a higher red soil content has been finalised for the T20 World Cup final.

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The report claims that the India Vs New Zealand pitch will offer an even pace and bounce, making it easier for the batters to play shots. With both teams fine-tuning their grey areas, Mitchell Santner has revealed the nature of the track at Narendra Modi Stadium. 

Mitchell Santner reveals T20 World Cup final pitch

In the pre-match press conference, BlackCaps all-rounder and captain Mitchell Santner disclosed the nature of the surface that will be used for the final. 

Speaking to the media, Santner reckoned that the India Vs New Zealand pitch will be batting-friendly. The Kiwi captain hinted at a high-scoring contest, as he expected the Narendra Modi Stadium's pitch to offer excellent batting conditions in the T20 World Cup final. 

"The wicket is going to be flat and high scoring. Jasprit Bumrah should be in everyone's conversation. He was the game-changer against England; a world class bowler."

It's worth noting that Mitchell Santner closely examined the India Vs New Zealand pitch for the final between India and New Zealand. 

He has also thrown an open challenge to his Indian counterparts, vowing to silence the Ahmedabad crowd on the night of the final. 

Ahmedabad: A happy hunting venue for batters

Although most of the T20 World Cup venues have dished out sporting decks, the pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium has mostly been batting-friendly. 

As evidenced by an average scoring rate of 9.12, the deck in Ahmedabad has significantly favoured the batters. And with Mitchell Santner expecting the trend to continue, runs will likely come thick and fast when the two best teams of the tournament take on each other. 

So, India's out-of-form batter Abhishek Sharma will get a final opportunity to regain his mojo, while the focus will also be on destructive batters like Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube to make the most of the conditions. 

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