WTC Final: Southampton pitch curator aims to offer pace, carry, bounce and a bit of spin too

The World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand is only four days away from getting underway in Southampton. It is a neutral venue and the ICC is looking after the preparation of the pitch which is always a debating point ahead of any Test match. The pitch curator of Southampton, ahead of the game, has expressed that he is aiming to produce a balanced surface.

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Dukes ball will be used for the summit clash according to the playing conditions announced by the ICC. The red cherry in England tends to keep swinging thanks to conditions on offer and the latest example of the same was the recently concluded Test series between the hosts and New Zealand.

Coming back to the WTC Final, the pitch curator Simon Lee says that he is honoured to be preparing the surface for one of the biggest games in the Test history at the Ageas Bowl. "Having the WTC final here at the Ageas Bowl is pretty massive, obviously without the current world situation with the pandemic, it wouldn't have been here, so I feel lucky to have the chance to produce a pitch for potentially the biggest game of Test cricket ever staged. It's a huge opportunity," he said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.

Lee is keen on prepare the pitch which will last for five days so that the fans get to see an even contest between bat and ball. He is aiming for pace, carry and bounce and also hopes that it will turn a bit in case the weather remains dry.

"Pitch preparation for this Test is a little simpler as we are a neutral venue, we are guided by the ICC, but we all want is a good pitch that offers an even contest between the teams. For me personally I just want to get something out that has some pace, bounce and carry in the pitch.

"It can be a hard thing to do in England as the weather doesn't help us most of the time, but the forecast in the build-up is good with a lot of sun, so we are hopeful that we'll get some pace and a hard pitch without over-rolling it and killing it," Lee added.