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ShareNew Delhi: The Feroz Shah Kotla complex was buzzing with activity two days ahead of an important fixture, but the voices were more of concern about the pitch rather than the expectations of a humdinger.
Curator Vijay Bahadur Mishra was strutting around the square knowing all eyes were on him and that the task of improving the track to ensure there would be no let-up in the high-scoring action during the series against Australia, was akin to the challenge of chasing a 300-plus target on it. After all, matches of the Champions League Twenty20 (CL T20) here turned insipid because of low bounce and bettering the turf in just over a week was asking for too much.
"Two tracks were used during CL T20, and the better of the two will be used for the ODI. I am confident the bounce will be even, but it will be on the lower side," said Mishra, who has had to do some firefighting after the turfs were dug up following instructions by BCCI chief curator Daljit Singh.
The CL T20 saw a glut of low-scoring games. A majority of the 104 wickets that fell during the eight games were bowled (43%) or LBW, with only two caught behind (see box). The Kotla has been known for benign pitches, just the kind one would have liked for the third match of an ODI series whichhas seen two high-scoring encounters. But that is not what India and Australia should expect here, and it may be prudent to show restraint rather than heroics.
"Rain in the month of September spoilt preparations for this season. The pitches were dug up in April and had we received rain in July rather than two months later, things would have settled well by now," said Mishra, who is leggie Amit Mishra's cousin.
But what has changed since the last match on the track (on the 23rd), one of the two semifinals of the Champions League?
"The pitch has settled a little with some watering and lots of rolling. We have tried to keep the top two inches of the turf dry in order to ensure better bounce. But I would still say it is the 240-run type of pitch and the team batting first will have an advantage," added Mishra.
At a time when the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) is contemplating shifting the opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka (starting on November 10) to a different venue, Saturday's ODI can prove to be a tricky one.
