The Indian batsmen¡¯s struggle against overseas spinners over the last six years has prompted the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to rethink its policy regarding the pitches in first-class cricket.
TOI has learnt that the curators have been told to deviate from focusing on green, seaming pitches and produce pitches that will take more turn, as early as the second day of a match.
Over the last seven-eight years, BCCI had emphasized on seamer-friendly pitches to help Indian batsmen get used to facing the seaming ball.
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However, the continuing struggle against spinners, both at home and abroad, have rung alarm balls. The capitulation to Moeen Ali¡¯s off-spin in England ¡ª twice in as many tours ¡ª has got the board thinking.
It is learnt that discussions have been on from the previous season and fresh instructions were laid out at the curators¡¯ workshop held in Mumbai recently, before the start of the Ranji Trophy season.
¡°The curators were clearly told about the problems Indian batsmen are facing against Moeen Ali. Names like former English spinners Jeremy Snape and James Tredwell were also taken as references,¡± a BCCI official close to the development told TOI.
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¡°Videos of Nathan Lyon bowling on Australian pitches were studied. If a finger-spinner like Lyon could extract turn from Day Two on those bouncy, seamer-friendly pitches, then Indian pitches too could have that balance,¡± the official added.
Four seasons ago, the board had aimed at having pitches with more grass that would start turning by the last session of the third day. The board also introduced the system of having neutral curators to prevent doctoring of pitches when teams got desperate for points at the business end of the Ranji season.
However, it has been observed that most centres rolled out green tops but those pitches became flat batting tracks after the grass settled down and the moisture evaporated.
¡°The brief has always been the same ¡ª produce result-oriented pitches. This year, the curators have been told not to be shy of providing spinning tracks,¡± the official said.
TOI understands that former India coach Anil Kumble had raised concerns when he was the chairman of the BCCI¡¯s technical committee. With neutral curators coming in, teams were happy with the pitches produced last year.
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This has been a nagging problem. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who has been actively playing domestic cricket for the last five seasons, had raised the issue with Kumble three years ago.
¡°It¡¯s as much a challenge playing on spin-friendly tracks as on seaming tracks. Curators are scared to make spinning tracks. For them, result-oriented pitches are only green tops. There are not enough turning pitches in India which is why we are not getting good spinners. We have lost the art of playing spin and that¡¯s why we struggle against overseas spinners,¡± Gambhir had told TOI during the 2015-16 season.
¡°The only solution to it is five-day cricket. I told Kumble about it. This will take out the rank turners and overtly green tops as well,¡± Gambhir had reckoned.