08 November,2015 07:32 AM IST | | Harit N Joshi
Dhiraj Parsanna, the West Zone in-charge of the BCCI Pitches and Grounds Committee has clarified in his report (to BCCI) that the instructions to prepare a slow turner for the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa on October 25 was given well in advance to Wankhede Stadium curator Ramesh Mhamunkar
Sudhir Naik
Dhiraj Parsanna, the West Zone in-charge of the BCCI Pitches and Grounds Committee has clarified in his report (to BCCI) that the instructions to prepare a slow turner for the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa on October 25 was given well in advance to Wankhede Stadium curator Ramesh Mhamunkar.
Sudhir Naik
"Parsanna has stated in his report that Mhamunkar was given instructions to prepare a slow turner by Parsanna himself and also by Daljit Singh (Pitches and Grounds Committee chairman) well in advance," a BCCI source told SUNDAY mid-day.
Parsanna has also stated in his report that he asked Mhamunkar to water and roll the pitch to make it "a little soft." three days before the match. However, that was not followed too, according to Parsanna, a former India player.
Interestingly, Parsanna has not touched upon the claim made by Wankhede Stadium pitch consultant Sudhir Naik that the Indian team management wanted the pitch to be watered only in the good length area, which Naik refused as the ICC match referee would notice a wicket with two shades.
It can be recalled that Naik shot off a letter to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), alleging that Team India Director Ravi Shastri abused him in Marathi during the innings break.
The MCA appointed a one-man committee of Dilip Vengsarkar to resolve the issue between Naik and Shastri. South Africa posted a mammoth 438 in 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat. India lost the match by a massive 214 runs and with it, the series.
