(Cricket News) During the October-November World Cup on home soil, India will travel extensively, visiting nine different venues and facing as many opponents in their quest for a third 50-over title. Covering an impressive distance of nearly 10,000 km (specifically 9,700 km), India will embark on their journey. Now that the complete schedule has been revealed, let’s examine five crucial fixtures for India in the tournament.

India will face Australia at Chennai on October 8th at 2 PM.

The MA Chidambaram Stadium is currently undergoing final preparations, including the installation of new LED lights in the light towers. The TNCA has also made modifications to the square, introducing two red soil pitches on either side. As the second oldest stadium in India, it has hosted 14 matches since 1987, with India winning half of those, including four victories in the past decade. Notably, India has not yet reached a total of 300 runs at this venue, indicating the nature of the pitch they can anticipate.

India has previously played at this venue earlier in the year, where they suffered a defeat against Australia. Consequently, they should have a good understanding of the prevailing conditions. Since it is early October, the impact of dew on the game may not be significant. Historically, teams have tended to prefer batting first at this venue due to its tendency to slow down as the match progresses.

India will face Pakistan at Ahmedabad on October 15th at 2 PM.

This high-profile clash between the two arch-rivals is expected to bring the sub-continent to a standstill, with a capacity of 130,000 spectators. The stadium was renamed as Narendra Modi Stadium in 2021 and has been hosting ODIs since 1984. In the 18 matches played here, the hosts have emerged victorious in 10 encounters. The expansive outfield at the stadium favors spinners, although the choice of pitches for this particular match remains uncertain.

India has typically preferred playing on black soil pitches on their home soil, which provide low bounce and slower conditions. Traditionally, like many other old venues in India, Ahmedabad has not witnessed very high run totals, except for occasional instances. Since the stadium’s reconstruction and reopening, the hosts have played numerous matches across all formats, giving them a better understanding of the prevailing conditions compared to any other team.

Considering that Pakistan possesses a formidable bowling attack, opting for a flat deck may not be a bad choice for Rohit Sharma’s team.

India will take on New Zealand at Dharamshala on October 22nd at 2 PM.

India might face a challenging fixture against New Zealand, considering the conditions that could favor the Black Caps and make them feel more at home. The venue, situated at an altitude of 1317 meters above sea level, offers one of the bounciest and quickest pitches in India. Going up against the Kiwis, known for their lethal pace attack and their status as a formidable opponent for India, poses a tough task.

Being one of the newer venues in India, it has hosted only four ODIs thus far, with the hosts emerging victorious in two of them. The afternoon start provides some respite for the batsmen, but the presence of hovering clouds makes it a venue where the team’s think-tank needs to be adaptable in their approach. If the sun is shining, batsmen can have a fruitful time as the ball travels longer due to the high altitude. However, playing under lights in cold weather could pose challenges for the team bowling second due to the presence of dew.

The square and the outfield have been recently relaid, and India hasn’t played an ODI fixture at this venue since 2017. It would be beneficial for them to have a warm-up match against Australia or Afghanistan before the World Cup to get accustomed to the conditions and gain a better understanding of the playing surface.

India will face England at Lucknow on October 29th at 2 PM.

Following the provision of sluggish pitches during the IPL, the UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) has taken the initiative to relay the square at the Ekana Stadium, which will host another significant match featuring the hosts and the defending champions. Interestingly, India is yet to play a full 50-over fixture at this venue. The only previous ODI they participated in, against South Africa, was reduced to a 40-over contest due to rain, resulting in a loss for India. Consequently, India will enter the match without a clear understanding of the prevailing conditions.

Relaying a pitch in such close proximity to the World Cup carries a significant risk, but it has been considered a necessary step. Previously, Afghanistan utilized this venue as their home ground, playing three ODIs against the West Indies, all of which resulted in low-scoring matches, with a total of 250 runs being surpassed only once. Due to the black soil content, the pitch is expected to favor spinners and the art of taking pace off the ball will be crucial.

Considering the early part of winter, it remains to be seen how dew will impact the pitch. India has chosen an appropriate team for this match, aiming to utilize their spinners to restrict the English batsmen, who typically excel on flat decks.

India will go head-to-head against South Africa at Kolkata on November 5th at 2 PM.

Kolkata, the iconic venue that missed out on hosting an India fixture during the 2011 World Cup, will warmly welcome South Africa back to the place where they played their first match after readmission in 1991. The passionate fans of Kolkata add to the excitement surrounding this significant event in November. 

Having hosted 22 ODIs, the hosts have emerged victorious in 13 of those matches. Since the turn of the millennium, in the 14 matches played at the historic Eden Gardens, only five teams have managed to successfully chase a target. From March 20, 2011, until September 2017, there was a streak of six consecutive wins for teams batting first at this venue, as the pitch tends to slow down under the floodlights. However, in recent years, the surface has transformed from being slow and spin-friendly to one that offers more assistance to seamers. Therefore, South Africa may not be overly concerned about playing the hosts at this venue.

As this fixture is India’s penultimate league match, they will have a clearer picture of their semifinals qualification by then. The presence of dew could potentially have an impact on the match proceedings at Kolkata.

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