NAGPUR: Always the talking point in cricket, Nagpur pitches haven’t been short of controversies. While the pitch was rated ‘poor’ by the ICC in 2015, the Test against Australia in 2023 also saw the visitors criticising the surface. For Thursday though, a fresh, hard surface has been rolled out for the first ODI between India and England.
“It seems a 300+ wicket right now, with some help to the spinners in the second half. It looks grassy now, but it might be shaved off,” said a source from VCA.
Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill reckoned the wicket will dry soon. “You can never really predict how the wicket is going to play. No instructions have been given by the Indian camp regarding the pitch. I haven’t seen grass being shaved off the pitch. The wicket dries here soon, so they might have kept some grass so that the surface retains moisture,” he said while addressing the media.
Only one Ranji Trophy match was played on the pitch between Vidarbha and Gujarat in November 2024. Vidarbha had posted 500+ runs and the match ended in a draw.
