IND vs NZ | Nobody from Indian team management asked for turning pitch says Green Park curator

Curator Shiv Kumar, who oversees pitch development at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur where the first Test between India and New Zealand is scheduled to begin from November 25, said that he has not been asked by Indian team management or BCCI to prepare any specific wicket for the first game. 

Thus, to make the game interesting, he has prepared a sporting wicket that would last more than four days for sure. 

"Neither did we get any instruction from BCCI nor did anyone from the team management contact me asking for a rank turner. I have prepared a pitch keeping guidelines for a good pitch in mind,” Shiv Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

"There would be some amount of moisture as you expect in the month of November at this part of the world. However, I can assure you that it is a firm track and won't break down easily,” he added. 

Instead of blaming the wickets for the past few series, especially the last series when England visited India and the matches ended in only three days, Kumar said that it has also got to with the batsman’s temperament.

"Some of the matches that ended inside three days had a lot to do with how modern batters with T20 temperament approach spinners. I am confident that the match won't end inside three days,” he said. 

India and New Zealand will play two Tests as part of the World Test Championship 2021-23 and it would be the first series in New Zealand’s WTC title defence.