Successful Lincoln turf technology could be used in India

New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre turf manager Karl Johnson is to spend a week in India looking to assist with pitch development at a cricket academy in Pune.

The trip has been arranged with former New Zealand team coach David Trist who does coaching work at the academy.

Johnson, who looks after three grounds and two lots of practice facilities at the New Zealand Cricket complex at Lincoln University, is having a look at what the Indians want to do at the ground and assessing what can be done to help.

"What they want to do is create more pace and bounce in their pitches and I'm going to have a look to see what we can do to help.

"There are a whole lot of things to look at: the local soils, the weather, the heat, the grasses and the pitch preparation they do to name a few," he said.

Johnson said there is the possibility of an ongoing relationship with the Pune academy and, given the state of pitches in New Zealand this summer for the New Zealand-India series he said he is looking forward to discussing New Zealand pitches with the Indians.

He has also been liaising with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute which has done work in India in the past.