The Challenger series is the start of the new domestic season and with it comes the excitement of seeing all the India hopefuls in action on a level playing field.
This series is probably the last chance this year for those on the fringes of selection for the national squad. A Test series against New Zealand followed soon after by a tri-nation series with Australia as the third team, and then a gruelling four-Test tour of Australia, will leave the selectors very little time to experiment.
Naturally, the wickets for the four-day Challenger series become a matter of great importance.
According to M S Nagesh, ground supervisor at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the three wickets for the September 10-14 tournament will have a decent covering of grass and be quicker than normal Indian wickets.
"The wicket was relaid around two years back and is starting to settle down," Nagesh said. "But on the whole it is a good wicket on which even scores of 280 can be chased provided the batsmen do their job."
The pitches have been relaid as per the instructions of former Delhi skipper Venkat Sundaram, who has replaced G Kasturirangan as head of the pitches committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
"For the first time in domestic cricket, we will have pitches with a green top," Sundaram said. "We are consciously trying to make sure we have faster and greener wickets in domestic cricket. We will have to see how they react under lights."
But the pace bowlers in the three sides taking part in the Challenger have already given the wickets a thumbs down. They believe the Chinnaswamy will be another batting paradise. Sundaram isn't entirely in disagreement. "Richards could score 200 on this track," he said, point being that batsmen will have to be of Sir Vivian's calibre.
More worrying for the organisers is the weather. For the past four days, Bangalore has had rains in the evening and there is an indication that the trend may continue tomorrow.
