Vadodara: The Ranji Trophy match between Baroda and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) at the Reliance Cricket Ground here was delayed by an hour on Saturday. The match was suspended as the J&K team management allegedly objected to the level of moisture in the wicket, claiming that even the colour of the soil had changed.
The Baroda team, captained by Krunal Pandya, disagreed, after which the umpires heard both sides before deciding to delay match proceedings.
Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) secretary Ajit Lele confirmed that the match had been delayed. “I was told that the match started late on Saturday as the J&K team raised the issue of the level of moisture on the wicket. I will have to gather more details about the incident,” Lele told TOI.
BCA CEO Snehal Parikh said, “The J&K coach claimed the colour of the wicket had changed. The umpires and referee decided to delay the match proceedings according to their protocols.”
J&K team manager Ahmed Zargar refused to comment on the issue.
A BCA official said, “The wicket is covered with a cotton quilt and then a rubber cover is placed over it after a match to avoid moisture getting in. The claims of too much moisture aren’t true as the same protocol was followed on the previous two days. The allegations of pitch tampering are absolutely untrue.”
As the match started late on Saturday, which was the third day of the Ranji tie, 17 overs couldn’t be bowled by Baroda. However, playing hours were extended to ensure 11 additional overs could be bowled, while the remaining six will be covered on Sunday. The J&K team set a target of 365 runs for Baroda, which lost two wickets by the end of the day for a score of 58.
