A lot of deliveries kept low on the first day as Saurashtra ended the day with 206/5.
As Saurashtra and Bengal fight in the final of Ranji Trophy, Bengal coach Arun Lal told media on Monday (9 March) that the pitch on which such an important match is being played is “very poor” and he feels that BCCI should probe how such a sub-standard surface was prepared for the big game.
“Very poor wicket. The board has to look into things like these. The ball is not coming up. This is not good for cricket. The ball is not getting off, it is dusting, reversing. Very poor,” Lal said.
While Saurashtra ended the day with 206 runs on the board at the loss of 5 wickets, a lot of deliveries kept low on the first day of the big final, especially in the final session.
When asked if finals should be held at neutral venues, Lal said, “No, not necessarily (on neutral venue). You have got neutral curators. The board should look into it. Send your curator 15 days before the game. Even the curator has not done a good job.”
The former India cricketer was then asked if he will speak to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly about the matter to which he replied, “That is not my job. They should look into it on their own.”
The 64-year-old then talked about his team’s performance by saying, “This is a long game. 15 sessions have to be played; we have played three. We will fight till the end whatever the result. We don't focus on the result. We focus on what we do best. If we keep them to under 300 in the first innings, I will be happy.”
With Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara down with throat infection fever, their tactics to win the match with one batsman down will be worth watching.
(With PTI inputs)