Curator Pandurang Salgaoncar says Pune pitch ready for good show

The last time Team India played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, the result was not what the Indian skipper Virat Kohli expected. ICC had labelled the pitch used for the first Test against Australia as ‘poor’, where the match ended post-tea session on Day 3.

Australian legend and leg-spinner Shane Warne had labelled the pitch as an ‘eight-day wicket’ on the first day of the match itself. Chief Curator Pandurang Salgaoncar, who was criticised immensely after the Test is now confident that the pitch for the Second ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday would be a good one.

Salgaoncar is confident that all the necessary steps had been taken to ensure a ‘sporting track’ for the match. Although the pitch preparation varies for the formats, the pitch laid out this time around would be a better one for the batters.

Good Cricket pitch

Speaking to CricketNext, Salgaonkar said he is certain that the pitch will play well and there will be no reason to complain about playing conditions. “It will be a good cricket pitch and we will have a good match. I am not allowed to speak to the media and this is all I can say at this point in time,” he said.

Asked if he is confident of avoiding the fiasco that saw the ICC terming the Pune pitch poor, the chief curator said: “I am telling you this wicket will play well and we will see quality action.”

Pune Fiascos’ aftermath

However, things were not straight after the Pune fiasco, with the curator suggesting that he warned BCCI against preparing a bald and dry pitch.

“I had clearly warned the BCCI against preparing a bald and dry pitch. I don’t want to take names, but I had told them that not watering the pitch and removing the grass cover could have a detrimental effect. I know deep within that I had tried my best to make them understand,” he had revealed.

“My job was to follow their instruction, and I did that,” he concluded.