Follow UsCharges of pitch tempering were levelled at Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cricket team and its coach Ajay Sharma on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy match between Baroda and J&K, being played at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara.
The incident occurred on the morning of February 1 (Saturday) as players and coaches of the J&K side noticed some discolouration of the pitch. They brought the matter to the on-field umpires Pashchim Pathak and Ravi Teja.
The matter did not end there as match-referee Arjan Kirpal Singh too was dragged into the issue and it was only after 10:55 am IST that the match could begin, rendering a loss of nearly one and a half hours to the day’s play.
The allegation was firmly denied by BCA, which said that it was due to the morning dampness that the colour of the pitch seemed to have changed for a while.
“The allegations made by the J&K coach are baseless. The outfield was wet and due to winter, there was moisture on the pitch. 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.
"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 was quoted as saying in a statement, quoted by The Indian Express.
It is a must-win game for both sides, although J&K could even make do with a draw as they already have the first-innings lead and will get three points. However, all they need is a single point from this game. J&K are at 29 points, and so are Mumbai but have a better quotient than the team from North India.
Baroda are at 27 points and have no one but themselves to blame for losing their last match against Maharashtra and putting undue pressure on at least winning or taking the first-innings lead in this game. Now they cannot take the first innings lead and hence must win at all costs to qualify for the quarterfinals.