India fume over ‘sporting’ pitch | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

India fume over ‘sporting’ pitch

Hindustan Times | ByAnand Vasu, Ahmedabad
Apr 04, 2008 02:29 AM IST

No doubt the Motrea wicket has left Indian batsmen disappointed but for Dhiraj Parsana, the curator, the job was done well. A report by Anand Vasu.

All morning, as India were shot out for a paltry 76, one man was missing in action. Dhiraj Parsana, the curator, was not taking phone calls, could not be found at the ground and you could understand the tricky situation he found himself in.

HT Image
HT Image

For long now it has been the practice in Indian cricket — and this is more of a sub-continental phenomenon than a universal practice — for captains and coaches to ask for certain kinds of wickets and get them. Not this time round.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Parsana set out to prepare a pitch that would last all five days, and is quietly confident he has achieved this. “I am satisfied with the way the pitch has played,” he said at the end of the first day, reluctantly speaking. “I feel pain for the Indian team the way the batting collapsed. But this wicket will not crumble.”

Parsana earlier got a resounding thumbs-up from Dale Steyn, who rocked India’s boat with 5 for 23. “I was surprised (by the pitch). I haven’t played too much in the subcontinent, especially in India,” he said. “I’ve never seen a pitch like this, with so much grass.”

But Parsana was happy with the results he had managed.

“The pitch will last for five days and probably take spin on the final day. I wanted to prepare a sporting wicket that helps both batsmen and bowlers and I’ve managed to do that. In that sense I’m satisfied.”

The Indians are believed to be fuming for not getting the pitch that they wanted, but they’ll later realise Parsana isn’t the villain of the piece. He was merely doing his job, even if it did not win him any praise.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On