MUMBAI, May 11: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken the first step towards trying to produce faster Test wickets.

Indian pitches traditionally favour spin bowlers, with little bounce or lateral movement for the seamers.

But the BCCI believes they have had an adverse effect on the national team’s performance away from home.

India have not won a series outside the Asian continent for 16 years and their batsmen have been exposed on lively tracks in Australia and South Africa.

Groundstaff are to re-lay the wickets at 10 international stadia - in Delhi, Mohali, Madras, Bangalore, Calcutta, Cuttack, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Nagpur.

“We have therefore begun the process of making the pitches more sporting,” the BCCI secretary told newsmen here.

“We have decided to undertake this exercise, keeping in mind the future. Once these tracks are relayed, it is bound to benefit the players.”

Keith McAuliffe, director of the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute, attended a five-hour meeting of the Board’s Ground and Pitches Committee at which the issue was discussed and will continue to act as a consultant while the work is undertaken.

“We have studied the problems in India and have given our views to the Indian Cricket Board. We will see what we can do to make the pitches faster,” he said.

Despite India’s reliance on spin, seamer Kapil Dev remains their most successful bowler with 434 wickets.—PPI