City lines up chin music for Aussies

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is planning to give its boy VVS Laxman another chance to feast on the Australians by opening its new stadium at Uppal with a match against the Kangaroos when they visit the country this September.
If things go as planned, the Aussies will face some chin music too on what the HCA promises to be the fastest and bounciest wicket in India.
"We will bid for One-Dayers against the Aussies, if possible the opener," said HCA joint secretary M V Sridhar here on Monday. "We are confident that the cricket board will allot us a match," he added.
The former Hyderabad Ranji captain was part of an HCA team that visited Australia to study what makes the stadiums in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane the best in the world.
Besides a host of features that the HCA plans to incorporate in their stadium project, it has decided to make its wicket the fastest and bounciest in India and possibly the world.
To make this happen, the HCA has sought the assistance of Kevin Mitchell, curator of the fastest wicket in the world, the Gabba at Brisbane. Mitchell has given an assurance and is likely to make his first trip here early April.
As suggested by Mitchell, loam, a type of soil that acts as a binding agent, will be used to hold the wicket together. This layer is usually just under the grass surface.
According to Sridhar, the laying of the wicket and the outfield will be completed by April-end and the first local league match will be played in June.
Among other things that the HCA plans to adopt from the Gabba are the drainage network and the practice wickets outside the playing area. It also plans to have an indoor cricket academy with astroturf-type wickets in the cellar of the stadium complex.
During its visit Down Under, the HCA team also interacted with the Indian players and sought their opinion on various aspects.
"Senior players agreed to pay a visit once the first phase is completed," Sridhar said. Being an exclusive cricket stadium, the ‘line of sight’ from the stands will be ideal to watch a game of cricket and spot the ball from a 45-degree angle, he added.