Pitch tampering allegations in Indian cricket; coach launches official complaint

Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy match between Jammu & Kashmir and Baroda at the Reliance Cricket Stadium in Vadodara was postponed after the former filed a formal protest against the hosts, accusing them of tampering with the pitch and pointing to the colour shift. The claim that the alteration was brought about by the wicket’s moisture was refuted by the hosts.

Coach Ajay Sharma believed the surface had been tampered with overnight because he saw a difference in colour when J&K arrived at the ground, according to the Indian Express.

He promptly raised that issue with match referee Arjan Kripal Singh as well as the umpires, Pashchim Pathak and Ravi Teja.

All of the accusations against them were refuted by the Baroda Cricket Association, nevertheless.

“The accusations made by the coach of J&K are unfounded. In addition to the outfield being wet, the pitch was also damp because of the cold. It was the same for the umpire. Any cricket player would know that the pitch gets wet in the winter and that the outfield occasionally takes a while to dry. Accusations of pitch-fixing and blaming the association for the occasional match delay will not be tolerated. In response to the coach’s comments, we will be contacting the BCCI,” the BCA stated, as reported by Indian Express.

Baroda still has to win by 302 runs on the last day of the match, while Jammu & Kashmir is now in the lead to win the match.