25 November,2009 07:26 AM IST | | Correspondent
If you thought Ahmedabad was bad, Kanpur could end up being worse. Here's why India is not known for its sporting wickets PIC/AFP
Razor edge
Grass is left on the track on match eve to send out the wrong signals to the opposition and media. Only the foolish will believe the grass cover will be maintained for the Test. On the morning of the match, the grass is shaved off and the batsmen are happy.
Fear of ridicule
Curators and host associations do not want to face ridicule for preparing a pacy track. That would cause great embarrassment to the hosts' batsmen.
Look what happened in Nagpur, 2004 when the curator prepared a fast track and India lost to Adam Gilchrist's Aussies. India skipper Sourav Ganguly opted out of the Test through a last-minute injury, something which provided much fodder to his critics, who believed he didn't appreciate pitches which assisted the bowlers.
No encouragement
In India, curators are not encouraged to produce sporting tracks. It's time the rulers of the game help in changing the mindset among curators and their bosses. India has not been short on pace bowling talent so why not give the bowlers a fair deal for a change?
Practice problem
Players don't train to play on sporting wickets, so how do you expect them to be willing to play a match on them. If the practice wicket is slightly helpful for the bowlers, the batsmen at times refuse to bat in the fear of getting hurt. There have been cases where seasoned Test players have gone in for a net and left in a huff because the wicket was pacy.
