India and New Zealand cricket team captains checked the pitch and other conditions ahead of their 2nd test match.
Even as Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expects the bat to dominate the ball in the second test match against New Zealand beginning on Friday in the city, his Kiwi counterpart Daniel Vettori plans to go for an outright win.
Talking to media persons at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium, Uppal, where the 2 teams will lock horns, Dhoni stated that he had found the pitch to be on the flat side with some bounce. He said that this would enable batsmen to score freely during batting.
Hyderabad will be hosting a Cricket test after a gap of 22 years.
In fact, Dhoni hoped that the wicket at the new Rajiv Gandhi stadium, which is hosting its first test, would give the bowlers a fair chance after a placid one in Ahmedabad.
The first Test of the 3-match series ended in a draw at Ahmedabad, where India relied upon a 2nd-innings century from bowler Harbhajan Singh to escape from an upset.
The 3rd and final test will be played in Nagpur from November 20th to 24th, followed by 5 one-day internationals beginning from November 28th.
Meanwhile, New Zealand team captain Daniel Vettori said, "We don't know about the pitch in the stadium as this is the first time we will be playing in Hyderabad. After understanding the pitch condition in the Ahmedabad test, we have started practising early in Hyderabad."
Vettori hoped that his team would tackle Indian team effectively in Hyderabad, and win the test match. "We have to not only maintain, but also improve on our performance in the first test. There are still some guys who need to pick themselves up," Vettori said.
"In the first test, Chris Martin came in and gave us a great chance, and then India fought back with Harbhajan's century," he added. Vettori said playing on flat tracks had helped Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men transform into a bunch of world-beaters.
"India has prepared flat wickets and that has helped the team play better and become more competitive all round the world," Vettori said.
"It's always a big challenge to take 20 wickets against the formidable India line-up," the Kiwi captain said.
Asked about the positives that the Kiwis took from the Ahmedabad test, Vettori said the focus was firmly on the upcoming match.
"One test match doesn't really matter and we will be judged on the basis of our performance here," Vettori said.
Asked about the composition and the wicket, Vettori said, "It looks a little flat, but we are hoping it would offer some assistance and pace to the bowlers. We will have another look and then see the combination," the Kiwi captain said.
Courtesy: INN