Groundsman apologises for 'Indian' pitch

The Nottinghamshire groundsman is lamenting the pitch produced at Trent Bridge after India notched up 259 for four on the first day of the Test series.

Nottinghamshire head groundsman Steve Birks has said things hadn't gone to plan after appearing to produce a pitch ideally suited for India, rather than England, in the first Test at Trent Bridge.

India, after winning the toss, were 259 for four at stumps on the first day of the five-match series, with opener Murali Vijay 122 not out and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni 50 not out after winning the toss on a surface that wouldn't have been out of place back at home.

"We wanted to produce a pitch with pace, bounce and carry which hasn't happened unfortunately," Birks said on Wednesday.

"There's quite a lot of moisture underneath but it's a hard surface on top which is why it's lacking pace."

James Anderson, who took two for 70 in 21 overs as he extended his all-time record for most Test wickets at Trent Bridge to 51, admitted it had had been hard pounding.

"It was frustrating really," he said.

"There's not a lot we can do about it at this stage, we have to stick at it and winkle out six wickets if we can."

Meanwhile Vijay said: "It's a good wicket and the ball is coming nicely on to the bat.

"I don't know about day two and three. A lot of people have told me that overcast conditions can change the nature of the pitch a bit.

"Hopefully, when we bowl we can get some help."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world