Win the toss and win the match? The mood of the pitch in Cuttack has changed, now there will be no spinners, the batsmen will have fun:

News India Live, Digital Desk: The caravan of the T20 series between India and South Africa is now about to reach Cuttack, Odisha. As soon as we hear the name of Barabati Stadium, a picture of a slow pitch comes to our mind, where the ball gets stuck and the batsmen have to struggle for one run each. You might remember that many times the scores here were limited to 100 or 150.

But wait! This time the story is going to change completely. The curator and stadium management have given a surprise which can make the match ‘high-voltage’. The news is confirmed that in the history of Barabati Stadium ‘Red Soil Pitch’ for the first time is being used.

Let us understand in simple cricketing language what is the difference between black soil and red soil and how it will affect the match.

Why is ‘red soil’ special?
Friends, generally there were black soil pitches here, which became slower as the match progressed. But the mood of ‘Lal Mitti’ is like Wankhede Stadium of Mumbai.

• Bounce and speed: The pitch of red soil is hard. On this, after hitting the ball, it comes on the bat quickly and with good bounce.
• Batsmen’s fun: When the ball hits the bat well, it becomes easier for players like Rohit, Surya or Rinku to hit “stand and deliver” sixes. The ball reaches the boundary at the speed of a bullet.

Fast bowlers will also enjoy
It is not that only the batsmen will win silver. This new pitch of Cuttack will also help fast bowlers like Rabada and Bumrah. The extra bounce found on red soil can surprise any batsman. That means, what used to be a sluggish match earlier, will now run at the speed of a bullet.

Will dew become a game changer?
Since the match is taking place in December winter (December 2025), there is every possibility of heavy dew in the evening in Cuttack. The captain who wins the toss may prefer to bowl first so that the bowlers do not face problems with the wet ball later and the batsmen can take advantage of the slippage and score runs.

Good news for the audience
Cuttack’s fans are very passionate. This time the pitch report is clearly indicating that there is going to be a lot of runs here. The era of 140-150 is gone, even a score of 200 will not be considered safe on this red clay pitch. Both the teams are full of ‘power hitters’, so be prepared to see sixes raining.

So fasten your seat belts, because Barabati Stadium is all set to spread “red color” in its new avatar!