Subhayan Chakraborty in Leeds
As preparations for the first of the five Tests between India and England continue at the Headingley in Leeds, scheduled to start on June 20, chief curator Richard Robinson is contemplating leaving a considerable amount of grass on the pitch. He thinks 300 is going to be a good first-innings total.
Before the clock hit the noon mark on Monday, four days before the first Test, Robinson and his fellow ground staff were seen grinding it out, rolling the pitch, which boasted a lush green look, while also maintaining a decent amount of moisture. It hasn’t rained a lot in Leeds this year and with the temperature expected to hover around 20-25 degrees in the build-up to the game, maintaining the correct amount of moisture while maintaining a grass cover remains critical in a bid to provide a sporting pitch. However, Robinson has kept his options open as per the needs of the hosts.
“It’s supposed to be quite a hot forecast, so we’ve got to leave a little bit of moisture in to start with, and see how it goes nearer the time, see what the England team wants,” Robinson told RevSportz. “It will look a lot different, probably even by this afternoon. It’s been a very dry summer for us, using a lot of water, trying to get a lot of water into the depth of the pitch, just so it holds together. Hopefully, it will hold together for the five days and we won’t have a three-day Test match!”
With an average first innings of total 298 in the 84 Tests played at the venue, Robinson expects the pitch to offer something similar. “I think if they get 300 in the first innings, they’ll be good, maybe the two innings after that might be slightly higher, we’ll see how it goes,” he reckoned.
“I’m hoping it’ll just be good for both bat and ball. Hopefully, there’s a bit in it for everybody. It’s supposed to be like 27-28 degrees, which is very hot for here, so it’ll probably flatten out as it goes on. It’s always a great atmosphere at Headingley anyway, but especially with the Indians here, it’s going to be a fantastic atmosphere, especially if both are going at it, really attacking play, it’ll be good to watch,” Robinson said.
While a new-look Team India under the leadership of Shubman Gill will look to end an 18-year drought, Robinson, like every other cricket lover, will miss the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. But he the visitors will not miss the two batters much.
“I was a little bit gutted to be honest when I heard they weren’t coming, but you’ve got so many great players in India, they’re not going to be missed that much,” Robinson concluded.