India, Feb. 20 -- Underneath the hessian and tarpaulin lay a greenish-looking pitch, with a round of mowing yet to be done. India's first Super 8 match against South Africa on Sunday will be played on the strip comprising a mixture of red and black soil. Adjoining the black soil pitch used for the India-Netherlands match which made batting hard work, the hybrid pitch could be relatively friendlier for the batters. A lot will also depend on weather conditions; a sharp difference in temperatures could bring the dew factor into play.

Pitches were central to conversations during the league phase, as stickier pitches made hitting boundaries difficult. For Indian batters accustomed to feasting on bowlers in the previous two bilateral series ag...