MSD ensures Ranchi delivers a cracker pitch for IND vs Aus

After helping Jharkhand reach the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, MS Dhoni flew in from Kolkata on Tuesday before visiting the JSCA International Stadium. The ex-Indian captain checked out the surface that is being prepared for the third Test between India and Australia, which is scheduled to start on March 16.

After India fought back to level the four-match series at 1-1 in Bengaluru, the third Test could prove to be the decider. JSCA secretary Debasish Chakrabarty has said Dhoni is keeping a close eye on the preparation of the track and has already given his inputs.

“He (Dhoni) is very cautious about the wicket conditions. To make sure that everything is in place, MS visits the stadium regularly.

With the Indian team bouncing back in the series, even Dhoni wants to make the third Test memorable.

JSCA secretary

“MS gave a few suggestions. And even after reaching Kolkata, he constantly kept in touch with the curator and the groundsmen to know about the preparation of the pitch.

“With the Indian team bouncing back in the series, even Dhoni wants to make the third Test memorable. That’s why he is always ready to help,” Debasish Chakrabarty told Sportstar.

The pitches in this series would be under scrutiny after the Pune wicket got a ‘poor’ rating from its match referee Chris Broad as the match ended in three days. The Bengaluru Test also failed to advance into its fifth day.

JSCA pitch curator S. B. Singh has said that they are following the guidelines provided by the BCCI and is confident that the Test in Ranchi will reach its conclusion on the final day. He said, “We will be strictly following the BCCI guideline, which states that a pitch should be balanced. Even though this track would eventually help the spinners, it would also give the batters a chance to stick around.

“This is something I can vouch for. The spectators will enjoy a five-day match.

“The tweakers will be able to take control of the game after the second day. The side batting in the fourth innings will face a challenge.

“We have to be extremely careful about the wicket.”

The curators at the JSCA Stadium are currently preparing three wickets with BCCI’s East Zone curator Ashish Bhowmick set to take a final call on them when he arrives on Friday. “We have kept three tracks ready, and now it’s up to the team management to decide,” Singh added.