Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium has witnessed high-scoring games in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, but the semi-final clash between India and New Zealand on Wednesday (November 15) is likely to be played on a slow track.
According to a report published in The Indian Express, the Indian team management had asked for a slowish surface for the semi-final, believing it has suited them better in the league stage.
While India played most of their league games on high-scoring pitches, the strips for the matches against Australia in Chennai, England in Lucknow and South Africa in Kolkata were sluggish in nature. The hosts managed to chase down 200 versus Australia, defend 229 against England and skittle out the Proteas out for 83 at the respective venues.
The report claimed that the request to shave off the grass at the Wankhede Stadium was made by the team management right after their last league fixture against the Netherlands.
"It won't be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass," The Indian Express quoted a source as saying.
It is within the rules for India to suggest tweaks to the pitch as they are the home team. Moreover, chasing under the lights at the Wankhede Stadium has proved to be a daunting task in this World Cup. Only Glenn Maxwell's miraculous innings pulled off a heist for Australia against Afghanistan while chasing down target in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the British and Australian media have accused the Indian team of tweaking pitches for the semi-final. Their reports claim that the Indian team management have changed the pitch without the consultation of the ICC, and that the first semi-final will now be played on a used surface – Pitch 6 – than the originally scheduled fresh one – Pitch 7.
It also suggests that this 'micromanagement' of World Cup pitches will continue in Ahmedabad if India manage to reach the final.
The United Kingdom’s Daily Mail carried an e-mail from Andy Atkinson, ICC's independent pitch consultant, which reads, "As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.
"Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?"
