A huge controversy erupted in the Ranji Trophy on Saturday morning after the visitors Jammu and Kashmir lodged an official complaint with the match referee, alleging that Baroda resorted to pitch tampering before the start of playing on Day 3 at the Reliance Cricket Ground in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The chain of events unfolded before the start of the play. The proceedings were delayed after Jammu and Kashmir coach Ajay Sharma felt that the colour of the pitch changed, with his inference being that the 22 yards were tampered with.
The coach then discussed the matter with the on-field umpires, Pashchim Pathak and Ravi Teja, and the match referee, Arjan Kripal Singh. The proceedings were halted for almost 1.5 hours, and the play finally began at 10:55 AM.
Baroda face a must-win situation
Baroda Cricket Association has now denied all these claims, saying no pitch tampering was done. An official also said that the board would be taking the matter up with the BCCI regarding the remarks made by the Jammu and Kashmir coach.
“The allegations made by the J&K coach are baseless. The outfield was wet, and due to winter, there was moisture on the pitch, and even the outfield was wet. The umpire, too, felt the same. Anyone who has played cricket will understand that during winter there is moisture on the pitch and sometimes the outfield takes time to dry," Indian Express quoted the official as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“The allegations made by the J&K coach are baseless. The outfield was wet, and due to winter, there was moisture on the pitch, and even the outfield was wet. The umpire, too, felt the same. Anyone who has played cricket will understand that during winter there is moisture on the pitch and sometimes the outfield takes time to dry," Indian Express quoted the official as saying.
{{/usCountry}}"Sometimes matches are delayed, but calling it as pitch-fixed and blaming the association for this, we will not accept these allegations. We will be approaching the BCCI for remarks made by the coach," he added.
As per ESPNCricinfo, the official reason for the stoppage was that "play was delayed due to pitch dampness."
Baroda have been set a target of 365 to win the clash against Jammu and Kashmir. The Krunal Pandya-led side are in dicey place in the points table after Mumbai registered an emphatic win against Meghalaya.
Baroda needs to win the contest to qualify for the knock-out stage.