The recent Test series in Zimbabwe once again exposed the Indian
limitations on playing surfaces abroad. While the extra pace and
bounce found our batsmen deficient in technique and judgement, our
bowlers often got carried away by how sharp they looked on those
wickets and tended to pitch it short, neglecting the fundamentals of
length and line.
This is an old, old story. From the first Test match I ever watched,
and that was all of 45 years ago, critics have been crying from the
rooftops for the preparation of sporting wickets in India. But slow,
low wickets continue to be the norm in India.
What must India do to produce sporting wickets? To find an answer, I
sought the views of an expert, who has both played hard, competitive
cricket and actually helped prepare Test match wickets. P Mukund is a
fine all rounder who served the Tamil Nadu cause with distinction in
the seventies. His uncle Kasturi Rangan who was once selected to tour
the West Indies as a paceman, has been the curator of the Chinnaswamy
stadium in Bangalore for decades. Mukund, who holds a post graduate
degree in agriculture science, has followed in his uncle's footsteps
in running a nursery and gaining an excellent reputation as
landscapist and curator of cricket grounds. At different times, he has
been involved in developing and maintaining the Chepauk ground.
Mukund feels that caring for our grounds and preparing true wickets
need the following factors: 1. The right proportions in the soil
content. 2. Proper management of the moisture level. 3. The right
quality and quantity of grass. 4. Skilled ground staff.
When Mukund and I began our first class careers, the north generally
abounded in `pata' wickets, with their clayey surfaces rolled to
death, and shining in the sun and with not a blade of grass left on
them. The wickets in the south, especially Chepauk, had some pace and
bounce on them; a good spinner benefited as much as the quicker
bowlers. On the third day, or earlier, if the wicket was under
prepared, the ball turned, fizzed and bounced. Mukund remembers the
1972-1973 Tamil Nadu- Bombay Ranji Trophy final when he and Edmonds
were adjudged caught off Shivalkar snorters that pitched outside the
leg stump and went straight into slip's hands. Over the years, the
wickets have all slowed down to such an extent that good batsmen can
negotiate even huge turn on them.
What we need is a concerted effort by all concerned. It is up to the
BCCI to earmark a great deal more funds for care of grounds and
preparation and maintenance of pitches all over the country - and not
just at Test centres. Mukund also calls for a common programme, if
such a plan is not already on the anvil, to train ground staff at
these centres so that they all come to possess the same level of
knowhow. With our better understanding of soil physics today, there's
no reason why we can't prepare world class cricket pitches, he feels.
He should know, for he was one of those responsible for the creation
of a magnificent strip at Chepauk for the England Test match in 1993.