'We fought, abused but did the job'

Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik speaks for the first time on how he went about completing the ground work

Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik speaks for the first time on how he went about completing the ground work

The climax contributes to the overall rating of a film. Similarly, the final match of a tournament could decide the success of the event. A lot is riding on Sudhir Naik, the curator of the newly-laid pitch at the Wankhede Stadium which will host the World Cup final on April 2.

A rare combination of a Test cricketer and a first-class in MSc (Organic Chemistry), Naik throws some light on the most-anticipated wicket of the mega event in his first interview since the ICC gave Wankhede the nod.

Excerpts:

How did you go about your task?u00a0

Sudhir Naik

We had to start from scratch because the entire ground was dug up due to renovation work. First of all, we had to dig at least three to four feet and remove the stones that were piled beneath the surface. It was very tough. We got it done in parts ufffd first 30 yards, then another 10 yards and so on.u00a0 Initially, we were confident of completing the work before time, but as we went along, we realised there were lots of constraints. We fought, abused each other, but in the end, we completed it.

What was the most challenging part?
We faced extreme difficulties in getting the raw material into the stadium with only one entry gate. At times, we had to wait for five to six hours to bring in the soil because of the long queue of trucks at the gate. Watering the ground was also difficult.
Pipes would break due to construction work.

Was preparing the Wankhede wicket your toughest job as curator?
Yes, this was the most challenging job. It was a very difficult task to complete in the given time frame.

What was the kind of pressure on you?
There was always pressure and it is still there. Though we have completed the job, there will be pressure till the final is well conducted.

What can we expect from this wicket?
It will be a typical Wankhede ufffd little bounce and good carry. We have not done anything different in our wicket preparation.

No match has been played yet. Is that a worry for you?
I have already checked and tested the wicket with some local bowlers. My only worry is the grass near the boundary line.

There will be some odd bounce in the outfield because it is newly laid.
This outfield has not got any rain; we started working on this after the monsoons. There will be some undulation, but it won't be visible. Wicket-wise there won't be any complaints.