The Lucknow pitch curator has been removed after vocal complaints by Indian cricket team captain Hardik Pandya who had termed the pitch as a ‘shocker of a wicket.’ According to the Indian Express, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) sources have confirmed that person concerned has been removed with immediate effect with Sanjeev Agarwal from Gwalior taking over the duties with the IPL 2023 just around the corner.
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Earlier, India huffed and puffed through a hundred run target at Lucknow after which Pandya had criticised the pitch. This statement also referred to the last match in Ranchi where India had failed to chase down a target of 177.
“Both the games (pitches) we have played on so far (have been shockers). I don’t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line, the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier,” he added.
India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey also reiterated the same.
“The curator is the right person to answer that question (on pitch),” he said.
“There was a little grass covering on the middle, but there was none on both ends. When we came yesterday, it looked like it would turn and we realised it would be challenging.” Gautam Gambhir, mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants IPL franchise, called it a “sub-standard wicket” on Star Sports studio.
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“According to the sources, the curator had prepared two black soil pitches for the game in advance. However, at the behest of a last-minute request from team management three days prior to the match, the curator had been asked to prepare a fresh pitch made of red soil instead. The new pitch could not be adequately prepared on short notice, and led to even slower conditions,” the Indian Express report states.
With the series now locked 1-1, Hardik Pandya led Indian team arrived in Ahmedabad for the series decider. The second game on Sunday was a low-scoring affair but still turned out to be a nail-biter. Chasing 100 runs initially seemed easy, but when the New Zealand spinners began to get through, the situation turned intense. However, a match-winning stand between captain Hardik Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav took the hosts home safely.
On Monday, the Indian team arrived in Ahmedabad for the final fixture of the New Zealand series. The members of the team received a traditional welcome at the hotel.
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