Hosts appear unhappy as Bangalore track promises another run shower in today's India vs Ireland World Cup game
Hosts appear unhappy as Bangalore track promises another run shower in today's India vs Ireland World Cup game
It's an irony that a state association headed by a bowler should produce one of the finest batting tracks in the World Cup.
|
| Yuvraj Singh during a training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. PIC/AFP |
On the eve of India's Group B tie against Ireland, all indications were that the track at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium would be as good, if not better, for batting as it was in the previous two games (India vs England on February 27 and England vs Ireland (March 2).
Sources in the Indian team said that they would prefer a turner, similar to the one on which they played against Australia in their first practice game. But the Karnataka State Cricket Association, headed by leg-spinner and India's leading wicket-taker Anil Kumble, seem to favour a spectator-friendly track ufffd meaning one that produces a lot of runs.
A few days ago, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said this about the wicket to MiD DAY: "After the practice match against Australia, everybody was worried about the track being a turner. I think after that match, the pitch had been watered and rolled a lot every day. That's why the track is so easy now."
On Saturday, a memberu00a0 of the Indian team said: "Kya wicket hain? Bowlers ko kuch nahin milta hain (What sort of a wicket is this? There is nothing in it for the bowlers)."
Kumble refused to be drawn into any discussion about the track. "No comments about the pitch," he said.
Former India seamer and KSCA vice-president, Venkatesh Prasad was firm too. "I don't have any clue regarding the pitch, but is it a bad wicket to bat on? There is no point in raising questions about the pitch. Have you seen this kind of wicket in Bangalore before? The wicket is amazing to bat in both innings."
