Nagpur, Nov. 20: The Vidharba Cricket Association’s failure to embrace technology led to three hours of play being lost on the opening day of the deciding Test. The sun was out early in the morning, there was no problem with the main square but the area near the boundary line on the pavilion end resembled a marsh.
The massive roof over the grandstand blocks sunlight and the authorities in charge should have ensured proper covers for that particular spot. Having failed to get the area adequately covered (it was not available in the first place) the officials were slow to fill it with sawdust to ensure quick drying.
“We are trying something new, we will keep you posted. There was a shortage for covers and we are trying to address that situation too,” said a senior VCA official.
There was little action that followed. Both teams had lost out on their final practise session on Friday as the covers meant for the practice wickets had to be shifted to the main ground.
The process started at 10.30 am, after the scheduled first inspection, which led to a further loss of play. There was actually nothing much to inspect as everything else was in place besides that patch. Primitive methods like large pedestal fans showed the process in poor light.
How the world’s richest cricket board cannot afford quality polythene sheets to cover the entire ground will remain a mystery.