Shades of grey in green-brown debate
After the featherbed in Chennai and the lively pitch in Ahmedabad, on which India were shot out for 76 in the first session, the Kanpur wicket will undoubtedly be under scrutiny ahead of the third Test between India and South Africa
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
After the featherbed in Chennai and the lively pitch in Ahmedabad, on which India were shot out for 76 in the first session, the Kanpur wicket will undoubtedly be under scrutiny ahead of the third Test between India and South Africa. Sandeep Dwivedi spoke to Chotelal, the groundsman at Green Park, in the Indian Express.
“In 1983, I prepared a green pitch for the India vs West Indies game and the consequences weren’t great,” Chotelal says. It was the game in which Malcolm Marshall’s fiery bouncer saw Sunil Gavaskar’s bat falling from his hands and India suffering an innings defeat. What followed was brickbats and Chotelal’s shelved his green experiment for good.
Then in 1996, Sachin Tendulkar led India against South Africa in the final game of the series in a do-or-draw scenario. A wiser Chotelal rolled out a brownish carpet with myriad designs on it. India’s big win had then coach Madan Lal appreciating the groundsman with a Rs 25,000 award. “Even Tendulkar was quite happy. He met me after the game and was so happy that he gave me all the money that he had in his pocket,” says Chotelal.
Alex Parker, in the Johannesburg's Times, writes that the Indian team is famous for being a collection of monstrous egos sloshing about in great vats of self-importance.
"The Indian team and it's administrators appear to be very close to a state of disarray," writes Neil Manthorp on Supercricket.co.za. "They might want to think about seeking an answer to an important question before they finalise the XI for Kanpur. Who actually wants to play Test cricket."
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo