Curator for the second Test relieved of his duties, Indian team management gets involved
Following Team India's defeat in the first Chennai Test against England, the BCCI have removed the curator who was to oversee the pitch preparation for the second Test at the same venue. Indian team management, along with local chief local groundsman V Ramesh Kumar, are now supervising the preparation of the pitch for the upcoming Test.
Curator Taposh Chatterjee of Central Zone was earlier assigned the task of preparing the pitch for the second Test. However, the BCCI sent him to oversee the pitch preparations in Indore and Jaipur for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The Chennai pitch came under the scanner during the first Test as it didn't offer much assistance to the bowlers. The surface deteriorated massively in the last two days, with the the toss playing a crucial role in the game.
It is quite clear that the Indian team management was unhappy with the pitch for the first game. Pacer Ishant Sharma even termed it "a road," with England keeping the Indian bowlers on the field for 190.1 overs in the first innings.
Sources at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) indicate that a turning pitch is being prepared for the second Test. India cannot afford to lose another game in the series if they want to reach the ICC World Test Championship final.
Jofra Archer slammed the Chennai pitch
Despite their comprehensive win in the first Test, England pacer Jofra Archer criticized the pitch and said it was the worst fifth-day surface he has ever seen.
"On the fifth day it was probably the worst surface I’ve seen — its orange colour, bits missing, rough patches for the bowlers to aim at," Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
The second Test match starts on Saturday and will be played in front of 15,000 fans after the TNCA allowed the entering of the spectators for the first time since the pandemic.