April 18, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1429

KOLKATA, April 17: The BCCI has sent a “fitting reply” to ICC’s missive on the Green Park Stadium wicket in Kanpur where South Africa lost the third Test to India in three days.

Stung by ICC’s letter, the BCCI has refuted Match Referee Roshan Mahanama’s claim that the Kanpur pitch was not worthy of hosting a Test match. Uneven bounce on a dustbowl made life difficult for the batsmen on the track, prompting Mahanama to file an adverse report to the ICC.

The BCCI has pointed out that of the 32 wickets that fell in course of the match 14 wickets were claimed by pace bowlers and 18 by spinners which belies the notion that the pitch was tailor-made for spinners.

”The fact that the South Africans were 152 for one on the opening day at one stage shows that there was nothing devilish in the pitch,” a top BCCI official told TOI , adding that only one delivery had risen awkwardly during the entire match, causing Rahul Dravid’s downfall in the first innings.

”On the same wicket, South Africa scored 265 runs and India replied with 325. The curator can hardly be blamed if batsmen fail to perform,” the official added.

Asked about the cracks in the wicket and the dusty surface, the official pointed out: “Look, it is for the first time that Test matches were played in India in April when the conditions are very hot and dry. Curators have two choices - either to water the pitch heavily as was the case in Ahmedabad or stick to normal watering. Kanpur heat perhaps caused the cracks to open up, but it was in no way under-prepared.”—Agencies