MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Pitch Report & Weather Forecast for PAK vs SA ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Match 26

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MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will stage it's fifth and final match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Friday (October 27) when Pakistan lock horns with South Africa in match 26 of the show-piece tournament.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan come into the match on the back of a stunning loss to Afghanistan in Chennai, where spinners had some help, while Aiden Markram-led South Africa are fresh from a thumping win over Bangladesh at the batter's paradise in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The four 2023 World Cup matches at the venue in Chennai have seen mixed results so far, but three of the four have favoured the teams chasing, including Afghanistan's run chase of 283 against Pakistan with 8 wickets and an over to spare.

The first match at the venue saw spin find joy in the afternoon, while the other two had seen the quicks find some joy both in the noon and under lights. The last match was played on the same wicket as the first match, but this time the batters found it easy to score runs once set.

One of the other two surfaces could be waiting for Friday's match, and that could be an even surface which is very likely to see better bounce, allowing for some swift run flow.

The venue, however, has a history for slow nature of wickets. And the heat is going to be massive during the afternoon. So, how will the pitch conditions be for PAK vs SA clash in Chennai?

All the four matches also were played without any interruption or delay due to weather or any other conditions. But several parts of India have witnessed rain over the last few days. So, will rain have an impact? Will dew be a factor in the match?

With some parts of India witnessing showers due to the retreating monsoon, here is a look at the Chennai weather forecast and the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch report for PAK vs SA 26th ICC World Cup match:

Chennai Weather Forecast on October 27

There is no threat of rain in Chennai on Friday (October 27) or in the lead up to match. It is expected to be a humid day with intervals of clouds and sunshine. The temperature is expected to touch 32° C in the noon, but is expected to reduce to 29° C during the closing stages.

With no rain recently, there is chance of dew setting in during the later stages of the second innings, but that may be overcome by the anti-dew chemicals sprayed on the outfield by the Chepauk Stadium ground-staff. But, how is the Chennai wicket going to play?

MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch report for PAK vs SA World Cup match

The wickets at the Chepauk were known to be on the slower side, providing assistance to slower bowlers or spinner as the match progresses. But among the four matches in the tournament only two innings has seen totals lower than 200 being posted by a team.

However, none of the innings has seen totals over 290 with 288 being the highest. With clay and red soil being used in the pitches at the Chepauk, spin will definitely play a role even in the PAK vs SA match. The quicks also will find some joy under lights with the new ball.

The average first innings score at the venue in 236 with only a handful of games seeing totals cross above 300. In the 27 ODIs at the venue, the team batting first have had the edge with 15 wins, while teams chasing have won 11 times, including the three matches in 2023 CWC.

The previous history suggests that the team batting first have won the most ODIs in Chennai. But the recent matches suggest the team chasing have had the advantage. South Africa will be tempted to add runs on the board and apply pressure on Pakistan batters.

Pakistan too will look to do the same, but the Protea batting is a little stronger on paper and their bowling as well has been decent except for the one match when they failed to kill off Netherlands, who hurt them with a stunning result. So, captain winning the toss will still look to bat first.