In what can be a shocking turn of events and gross incident of subordination, reports have emerged that the pitch curator at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai went against Indian team directions which resulted in a loss against England in the first match of the four-match series last year.
Times of India reported that the BCCI pitch curator altered the pitch despite directions from the Indian team management to not touch it, a move that wrecked Team India's strategy the next morning going into the game.
"Ravi Shastri and Bharat Arun were at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on the evening of February 4, a day before the start of the Test against England. The head coach and the bowling coach explicitly told the curator and the groundsmen that the pitch should be left the way it is, and the water and roller should not be used. Having conveyed it with absolute clarity, they left the stadium with the rest of the team," sources who were present at the venue that evening say.
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After Shastri and Arun left the venue, the BCCI curator who was present there told the groundsmen that he had been 'asked' by a 'higher authority' to water the pitch and roll it. He did so without being questioned by the local groundsmen who have no authority on these matters except listening to instructions.
There are those who want the BCCI to investigate 'who made the call that evening to the curator'.
"He (curator) watered the pitch, brought out the roller, and the next morning, the wicket was a 'paata' (flat deck)," sources added.
England won the toss and elected to bat first on a track that resembled a highway. Riding on Joe Root's 377-ball 218 in his 100th Test, the visitors posted 578 runs on board and eventually won the Test match. This loss left India with the uphill task of winning the remainder of three Tests to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship 2021.
It resulted in the Indian team management asking BCCI to replace the curator, as they were miffed at the curator's gaffe – intentional or not, is something that requires a thorough investigation.
"Ravi and Arun were absolutely livid with the curator for not heeding to the team management's instructions. It was done deliberately, and that curator clearly received a call and was asked to do this. The curator must be questioned who instructed him to act against the Indian team's best interests. It was an extremely serious misdemeanor," say those in the know of these developments.
The team management then spoke with the BCCI and made an official request to change the curator. Certain officials in the BCCI – unaware of the 'mess' – arranged for another senior curator to take charge and the pitch for the second Test was prepared in line with the Team India strategy.
This resulted in a spin-friendly wicket which saw R Ashwin taking 8 wickets and Akshar Patel 7, as India won the Test by 317 runs and leveled the series 1-1.
TOI also understands that should the BCCI begin asking questions, the Team India management during that series too will be willing to help the board find answers.
Something similar had happened 17 years ago when a state association president had deliberately prepared a green track ahead of a Test match, resulting in a loss for the home team.
(Times of India inputs)
