Follow UsThe start of Day 3 in the Ranji Trophy clash between Jammu & Kashmir and Baroda at the Reliance Cricket Stadium, Vadodara, was delayed after the former launched an official complaint against hosts Baroda, accusing them of pitch tampering and citing the change in color. The hosts denied the allegations, stating that the dampness of the wicket caused the change.
According to the Indian Express, when J&K arrived at the ground, coach Ajay Sharma felt the pitch's colour had changed, and hence, he inferred that it had been tampered with overnight. He immediately brought that up with the umpires, Pashchim Pathak and Ravi Teja, and also with the match referee Arjan Kripal Singh.
However, the Baroda Cricket Association denied all allegations made against them.
“The allegations made by the J&K coach are baseless. The outfield was wet and due to winter, there was moisture on the pitch and even the outfield was wet. The umpire, too, felt the same. Anyone who has played cricket will understand that during winter, there is moisture on the pitch, and sometimes, the outfield takes time to dry. Sometimes matches are delaye,d but calling it pitch-fixed and blaming the association for this, we will not accept these allegations. We will be approaching the BCCI for remarks made by the coach,” BCA said, according to Indian Express.
Currently, Jammu and Kashmir are at the pole position to win the game, with Baroda still needing 302 more runs to win on the final day of the match.