CHENNAI: In sync with the trend of fast bowlers doing well for India, attention will be paid to roll out pitches that assist this kind of bowling in Ranji Trophy beginning on December 9. There is no uniform guideline, considering the varying conditions in different parts of the country. But curators in general have been instructed to leave something to encourage speedsters.
The five zonal heads of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee and their assistants have been working on venues across India for the last few weeks for the country’s premier first-class tournament featuring 38 teams and 169 matches to be played over three months. With emphasis on not altering the local characteristics of the pitches, the focus is on making them conducive for seam bowling. At the same time, efforts are made to ensure that nobody rolls out an absolute green top, which rules spinners out of the equation. There is no instruction to have grass of a minimum length everywhere either.
“According to geographic and climatic features, pitches in India can be divided into five to six categories. In the softer winter climes of the north and east, the ball naturally does something. In the west and parts of south, things are drier and the surfaces harder, which gives the ball bounce and carry. There are places which suit spin. The instruction on curators is to not change the original traits of the pitch,” said sources, following developments on this front.
“At the same time, the pitches laid out for Ranji games in the last few seasons have played a part in the development of a pool of fast bowlers. So without compromising on the basic nature of pitches in different regions, the curators will try to make them as seam-friendly as possible. Methods will be different in different places, with a common objective.”
Matches will be played in nearly 60 venues and the committee is making sure about 90 per cent of them have fresh pitches, which have not been used often this season. There will be fewer matches in places that hosted the one-day and T20 matches. The Ranji Trophy beginning in December also helps, in the sense that the monsoon is over in most parts.
“An effort was made to ensure that Ranji matches are played on fresh pitches and not on those used for the limited-over competitions earlier in the season. The late start to Ranji means there was enough time to tend to the pitches and keep them fresh for a long tournament. There will be wear and tear later on but in the early stages, quicker bowlers will benefit from the freshness,” said sources.
Two D-N Tests? Unlikely, says BCCI
Melbourne/Kolkata: Cricket Australia (CA) is set to request the BCCI to agree for more than one day-night Test during India’s 2020-21 tour Down Under. However, the Indian board is unlikely to accept more than one. Officials will meet on the sidelines of an ODI series in January. “I’ve got no doubt they’ll consider playing one, maybe even more day-night Tests,” said CA chairman Earl Eddings. However, Sourav Ganguly thinks otherwise. “I haven’t heard officially from CA. Two out of four will be a bit too much. It can’t replace traditional Tests. But we can have one pink Test every series.”