The pitch will mostly be dry and behave in same manner in both the innings unlike the sub-continental wickets where captain chooses to chase under light. Here in UAE, the placid track will give skippers both the options of chasing or putting on a big total after winning the toss. The wicket in Shaikh Zayed Stadium will certainly help the batsmen as there will not be moisture in the pitch and hitting through the line will be easy,without being concerned about swing or seam.
Players will experience soothing sea breeze from the northwest direction during evening hours when temperature would be around 28°C and the humidity levels would vary between 50 and 60 per cent.
The average temperature in Abu Dhabi during April is around 33°C. So till 30th April when the Indian Premier league moves to the sub-continent the heat in UAE will not bother the players and spectators much.
The Indian cricket frenzy is returning to Gulf after a long gap of nine years. Due to Lok Sabha Elections in India, the tournament has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates for its first leg. The other two cities that will host the matches are Sharjah and Dubai.
Photograph by Dominic Scaglioni