4 hours agoAuthor: Sandipan Banerjee
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5 matches, 10 innings and average score just 105 runs. This is the condition of the pitches of Nassau County Stadium in New York which is hosting the T-20 World Cup. Here on Sunday, India won the match against Pakistan by 6 runs despite scoring only 119 runs. So far in New York, there has been too much help for the bowlers and dangerous bounce for the batsmen.
Now compare the figures of New York with the IPL which ended in May. In the last season of IPL, an average of 180 runs were being scored in every innings. So what is the last thing due to which the pitches of New York are proving to be a graveyard for the batsmen?
got less time for preparation
A drop-in pitch has been installed at Nassau Stadium in New York. Which was brought to America from Australia only 5 months ago. The pitch was held in Florida and reached New York only in April. It takes about 9 months from the time the drop-in pitch is made to being ready for the match. Where it is to be used, 3 to 4 months time is also required.
There was less time for proper rolling and maintenance on the pitch in Nassau, hence the pitch is not completely ready. Despite not being prepared, World Cup matches started here, the result of which is in front of everyone. Bowlers are getting uneven bounce, batsmen are facing problems, due to which the scoring rate also dropped rapidly.
A drop-in pitch was installed at Nassau Stadium in New York in April. Only 5 months were given to prepare it.
What causes uneven bounce?
Chief pitch curator Damian Hogg said that grass has grown on many parts of the pitch in Nassau. The grass did not get time to settle, due to which uneven growth is seen. Due to the cold weather of New York, the bowlers are getting more help here. Due to the match being played in the morning, there is moisture on the pitch, due to which there is a lot of movement of the ball. The grass was cut before the India-Pakistan match, which reduced uneven bounce on the pitch. Despite this, problems remained in shot making.
ICC also worked on improving the drop-in pitch during the tournament itself.
Why was a drop-in pitch installed at Nassau Stadium?
New York’s Nassau Stadium was an empty ground until January 2023. ICC started building a modular i.e. temporary stadium here in December last year for the World Cup. Due to the cold weather in New York from December to March, it was not possible to make a pitch there, so a drop-in pitch made in Australia was used.
10 pitches reached America from Australia via sea
10 pitches were made for the New York Stadium in Adelaide city of Australia. The pitch weighing about 30 tonnes was transported by sea to Florida city of America in December last year. The pitch was prepared in Florida for 5 months and was installed at Nassau Stadium in April.
It took about 4 days to transport the 10 pitches from Florida to New York by road. For this, trucks and containers carrying more than 30 tonnes of workload were used. During this period, the road was closed for the general public, so that pitch transportation could take less time.
4 pitches thrown, scoring difficult on 3
Out of the 10 who came from Australia, 6 are for practice and 4 are for the match. So far 5 group matches and one warm-up match have been played on 3 out of 4 pitches. Batting was difficult on all three, the bowlers got help and the scoring was very slow.
- The first match between Sri Lanka and South Africa took place on pitch number 1. Sri Lanka could score only 77 runs, while South Africa could also achieve the target in the 17th over.
- Netherlands could score only 103 runs on pitch number 2. South Africa could achieve this target in the 19th over. The India-Pakistan match took place on this pitch on Sunday. In which India was all out after scoring 119 runs, but Pakistan could also score only 113 runs in reply.
- India played the match against Ireland on pitch number-4. Here Ireland could score only 96 runs and India easily achieved the target. Canada-Ireland match also took place here, Canada scored 137 runs and restricted Ireland to 125 runs. A warm-up match was also played here between India and Bangladesh, in which Bangladesh could score only 120 runs.
Due to lack of time, even practice matches were not held.
Testing is done several times before holding international matches on drop-in pitches. Domestic matches are also held here, so that bounce and swing can be known. Organizers in New York were faced with the challenge of converting a common land into a stadium within 106 days. There was no time for practice matches here, hence testing was not done, the effect of which is visible in the World Cup.
India will play another match in New York
A total of 16 matches of the World Cup are to be held in 3 cities of America, New York, Florida and Texas. A modular stadium was built for the tournament in New York, while cricket matches are already being held at the remaining 2 venues.
There is a temporary stadium in New York, but the venue got to host 8 matches. Out of which 5 matches have been played and the remaining 3 matches are to be played in the next 3 days only. Here on June 12, India will face home team America. This will also be the last match on this ground.
Too many matches in too few days is a problem
The warm-up match was played in New York on June 1, and two more matches were played here till June 5. ICC again issued a statement saying that uneven bounce was seen on the pitch and its criticism is justified. Therefore, work is being done to improve the pitch of the stadium.
However, after the ICC statement, continuous matches took place in the stadium, which gave less time for improvement. A match took place here every day from 7 to 9 June. Now there will be 3 more consecutive matches till 12th June. The pitch is not well prepared, on top of that, due to continuous matches, the condition of the pitch is getting worse.
Use of drop-in pitch in cricket is not new
The use of drop-in pitches is not new to cricket. Matches are being held on drop-in pitches in Adelaide, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand stadiums since 2013. World Cup matches have also been organized at both the places. However, in both places the pitches were made in nearby cities. While the pitch was taken from Australia to New York, it was prepared in Florida and then fitted into the stadium.
