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New Delhi: The Delhi & District Cricket Association is again looking at other venues to hold the Ranji matches this season after it was decided that the 'undercooked' Ferozeshah Kotla wicket - which was relaid a few months back and received a lot of flak during T20 Champions League and the recent ODI against Australia - is going to be 'touched up' once more.
So, like in recent past, the Delhi team will once again be deprived of its home ground and will take on Karnataka from November 10-13 at the Roshanara Club ground.
The match was to be played at Services ground in Palam but Services refused saying they had scheduled inter-command matches at the venue. DDCA sports secretary Sunil Dev said: "Contrary to some media reports, they (Services) didn't refuse us. They were not aware of the scheduling of the inter-command matches during that period. They were very cordial and they apologised for being unable to hold the Delhi-Karnataka match."
In the meantime, the Kotla wicket will be worked upon by BCCI's grounds and pitches committee chairman, Daljit Singh, keeping in mind the India-Sri Lanka ODI to be held on December 27.
After the criticism of the Kotla wicket due to the 'unfavourable playing conditions' there was talk about shifting the ODI from Delhi. In fact, till Wednesday evening, Daljit was preparing the wicket for the next season of IPL and not for the India-Lanka clash as he was under the impression that the international match would not be held at the Kotla.
Daljit was later told that the match would be held at the Kotla but instead of a day-nighter, it would be a day match because of the "fog factor" during the winter months in Delhi.
The DDCA is hoping that the wicket will start playing true by then.
"We are planting new grass in the wicket. We are going to plant Bermuda as well as winter grass in the pitch," said Daljit. "The hybrid grass which we have in Mohali didn't take shape at the Kotla wicket. To add to that we didn't have time to prepare the pitch. There was also intermittent rain this season which was not good for the wicket. And then, when the heavy roller was used before the Champions League, the grass just vanished from the surface which led to the low bounce," said Singh.
A top DDCA official pointed out that the effort behind relaying the wicket and now giving it finishing touches will eventually pay rich dividends during the World Cup. "By the time World Cup arrives, Kotla is going to start playing true."
