Groundsman sacked over 'shocking' Indian pitch

1 year ago 36

A groundsman astatine the Ekana International Cricket Stadium successful Lucknow, India has reportedly been fired aft the location broadside snatched a six-wicket T20 triumph implicit New Zealand.

The transportation curator's sacking follows claims that India requested the transportation beryllium changed astatine the 11th hour.

During the low-scoring encounter, New Zealand batted archetypal - posting a abbreviated full of 99. India past chased it down with plentifulness of wickets to spare.

But with the transportation worsening arsenic play went on, it produced adjacent slower conditions.

Speaking post-match, India skipper Hardik Pandya labelled the transportation "a shocker".

"I don't caput hard wickets - I'm each up for that," helium said.

"But these 2 wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line, the curators oregon the grounds that we are going to play successful should marque definite they hole the pitches earlier."

According to the Indian Express, of the 8 pitches successful the stadium, the curator prepared 2 black-soil tracks for much elasticity.

However, the Indian team's absorption called for a caller transportation made of reddish ungraded 3 days earlier the 2nd match.

India's bowling manager Paras Mhambrey said the curator needed to explicate the antithetic transportation conditions, which forced 30 of the 40 overs to beryllium bowled by spinners.

"There was a small writer covering connected the mediate but determination was nary connected some ends," helium said.

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham agreed that the transportation was second-rate but said the "silver lining" of it was that it created "a low-scoring thriller" arsenic India posted 4-101 to win.

Kiwi spinner Michael Bracewell defended the pitch, claiming it was "cool to play connected a antithetic wicket".

"A assortment of wickets astir the satellite is simply a affirmative happening … it's breathtaking to effort and fig retired a mode to play connected these wickets," helium said.

"If you play connected a wicket that is level each the clip you don't get a existent trial of your skill."

The three-match bid is present tied with 1 triumph apiece aft the Black Caps triumphed successful the opening crippled successful Ranchi by 21 runs.

The decider will beryllium played astatine Sardar Patel Stadium connected Thursday.

It appears the conditions successful India person caught the oculus of the Australian Test squad arsenic it prepared for its upcoming circuit of the state adjacent period with a two-day "spin camp" successful Sydney.

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