JSCA secretary: Kohli won't have a say on the Ranchi pitch
Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) secretary has denied media reports that India skipper Virat Kohli will have a say on the type of pitch for the third Test against Australia starting on March 16. He also said JSCA curator’s statement was interpreted wrongly by the media.
Ranchi’s chief curator SB Singh told the Indian Express that he has produced three pitches for the venue's maiden Test match and that the "team" will select the wicket that will be used. This stirred a controversy in Australian media, but JSCA secretary Debashis Chakraborty said Singh’s statement was interpreted wrongly.
"SB Singh is right. We have nine pitches here at the stadium of which three have been prepared for this Test as is the norm with any other association hosting a Test match. Once the officials come here, they will choose which pitch to play on. All the three pitches on offer have been used this season,"Â Chakraborty said.
The first Test of the four-match series in Pune finished within three days, with the ICC match referee rating the pitch as poor. The second Test in Bengaluru ended in four days, with the hosts
"Whether the pitch is flat or a turner, will only be known when the match is played. Generally in the ODIs, the par score here is 250 and the pitch provides turn as the game progresses. Since it is the first Test the city is going to host, we would like it to be a five-day affair."