'Never Told Us What Is The Issue...,' Pitch Curator Blames Umpires For Day 3 Washout In IND vs BAN Kanpur Test
Green Park Stadium in Kanpur (Source: PTI)
The second Test between India and Bangladesh is heading towards a draw, as two consecutive days were washed out after just 35 overs on Day 1. On the first two days, rain played spoilsport, but there was no rain on Day 3, and still, the ground could not be made ready, and the whole day was called off. The washout has alarmed the cricketing world, and voices are being raised about substandard infrastructure at the Green Park Stadium.
There are also talks that the stadium will not get hosting rights for a Test match after this game, and a lot of blame has naturally been diverted towards the UPCA and the pitch curator of the ground. Shiv Kumar, the Pitch Curator, has now revealed his side of the story and stated that the match officials never told them what the real issue is and just gave them three different times of inspection. The curator also added in his interview with IANS that he told the match officials that they could
"They gave us 3 different times for inspection, but never told us what is the issue. Which area was wet or whatever is the problem. I told them that you can start the match, if you have any concerns let me know".
IND-BAN Test Heading Towards A Draw
The official inspections on Day 3 took place at 10 AM IST, 12 PM IST, and then the final one at 2 PM IST. However, match referee Jeff Crowe and other officials were not satisfied with the ground conditions due to wet patches, especially in the mid-wicket area, and the day was eventually called off.
The weather is expected to be better on Day 4 and Day 5, and there is possibility of full day of cricket. However, to dish out the result from this game, something extraordinary needs to happen and at least one of the two teams has to take some bold decisions. India are leading the series by a 1-0 margin after a thumping win in Chennai, but with WTC points up for grabs, both teams would be itching to get a win under their belt, and we can expect a cracking day of Test cricket.