The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A pitch on test

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Monday, May 02, 2011
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A pitch on test

JAIPUR: The pitch at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium was on test when Rajasthan Royals met Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.

Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar had expressed his displeasure at the ‘slow' pitch with ‘low bounce' after his team lost to Royals on Friday.

With the Mumbai Indians team management officially complaining about the state of the pitch it became imperative for the staging association to carry out remedial measures.

The Board-employed curator Venkat Sundaram was summoned from Delhi to prevent any further damage to Rajasthan's reputation as a good host.

Sundaram's appearance at the venue was not appreciated by Royals skipper Shane Warne, who emphasised there was no need for the ‘pitch inspector'.

The local curator, Taposh Chatterjee, in fact received support from Warne. “The curator has done a good job,” said Warne. “I am disappointed Mumbai Indians are using this as an excuse. The crowd wants a good contest between bat and ball. When you are outplayed accept that you are outplayed.”

The Royals vs Warriors match was played on a different pitch, also prepared by the local curator, and the next two are likely to be conducted on the adjacent square under the supervision of Chatterjee. — Special Correspondent

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