Australia last won a Test series in India in a four-match series in 2004, which they won 2-1. The Aussies won the Test matches in Bengaluru and Nagpur to take an unassailable 2-0 lead under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist. Kishore Pradhan, who was the curator of the Nagpur pitch in 2004, said he has no regrets about preparing the bouncy wicket and would do it again if given the chance.
India will host a four-match series against Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) trophy, with the first Test scheduled to be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, on Thursday, February 9. Former Australian cricketers, known for their mind games, started complaining about the surfaces, saying that India does not produce competitive pitches.
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I Always Wanted To Prepare Pacy And Bouncy Wickets – Kishore Pradhan
Kishore Pradhan, now retired from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, said that he wanted to prepare pacey and bouncy wickets so that the batsman could learn to play in those conditions.
“If given an opportunity, I will lay out the same wicket. I always wanted to prepare pacy and bouncy wickets. How else our batters will learn to play on them? These days, it’s the opposite as they can now play on fast wickets but tend to struggle on spinning tracks. Mr G Kasturirangan, the then chairman of the BCCI grounds and pitches committee, praised me for the wicket,” Pradhan said.
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He Thought I Prepared It On My Own – Kishore Pradhan
Kishore Pradhan said that the then-captain Sourav Ganguly was not impressed with the pitch prepared for the match.
“Once (Sourav) Ganguly saw the pitch, he thought I prepared it on my own. He spoke to me explaining the strengths and weaknesses of both teams. He then met the then-VCA president Shashank Manohar. I also told him that the surface has been prepared in consultation with the VCA chief and coach K Jayantilal. ‘This is the wicket we have prepared and you have to play on it’, I tried explaining to Ganguly,” Pradhan told The New Indian Express.
Australia beat India by a record margin of 342 runs in Nagpur to seal the series in India after 35 years. The Australian bowlers bowled out the hosts for 185 and 200 runs in two innings, respectively. Their pace bowlers, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, and Michael Kasprowicz, bowled well to restrict the opposition to low totals in both innings.
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