Flat pitch at Wankhede Stadium raises questions

MUMBAI: Mumbai's latest 'coup' in the Ranji Trophy, which saw them miraculously chase down Uttar Pradesh's massive 625 for eight declared, will forever be remembered for Sarfaraz Khan's brilliant triple-hundred.However, it will also stand out for a notoriously flat wicket at the Wankhede Stadium. On a lifeless pitch, both teams scored 1313 runs, losing just 15 wickets over four days. The fourth and last day saw Mumbai score 335 runs, losing just two wickets in the process.The BCCI had appointed former Maharashtra pacer Pandurang Salgaonkar as the neutral curator for this match. A curator at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune, Salgaonkar is no stranger to controversies.Post the match, Mumbai chief selector Milind Rege slammed the dead track, on which even one innings couldn't be completed. He alleged that just one day before the match, all the grass on the wicket was shaved off."On the eve of the match, when I saw the wicket, it had a beautiful tinge of 4mm grass. The Wankhede wicket is known to be a very sporting, true one. However, when the match began, there was not a blade of grass on the pitch. It was totally bald. Where did it vanish? I don't know who shaved it off. Was it the BCCI curator, or his Mumbai counterpart? But then, I know that the Mumbai curator wasn't involved in the making of this wicket," lamented Rege, a former Mumbai captain, while speaking with TOI on Wednesday.Even though Mumbai bagged three points, in an ideal scenario, they'd have preferred a track which would've enabled them to go for an outright win. Salgaonkar, though, maintained that he had stuck to the guidelines of the BCCI while preparing the pitch. "Only 3mm grass was cut. I left as much grass as the BCCI rules allow and mandate. It's mentioned in my report to the Board. I'm not concerned with what Rege says about the wicket," said Salgaonkar.He defended the pitch too. "It's up to the players how to play on a wicket," he said.