The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 is getting closer, and fans are getting excited about the crucial series. India and Australia have begun preparations for the four-match series, which begins on February 9th. The Vidarbha Stadium in Nagpur will host the first match of the series.
There has been a lot of talk about the pitch curators preparing ran turners to give the hosts an undue advantage in the series. Many former and current Australian players have raised their voices against the pitches prepared in India in the past.
Amidst all this, a pitch curator from Nagpur has revealed an incident involving former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Kishore Pradhan, the then-pitch curator, said that he prepared a green wicket for a Test against Australia played in Nagpur in 2004. However, he said that the captain opted out of the match, owing to the nature of the pitch.
“I prepared a green wicket in the 2004 Nagpur Test and told Sourav Ganguly that you have to play on this wicket. Ganguly opted out of the match with an injury,” Pradhan said in an interaction with New Indian Express.
Fans are stunned by the former Indian captain’s thinking following this revelation. “If I recall correctly, One of the commentators said on air that when he asked an Indian player about the nature of captain’s injury, the player replied ‘Suffering from greenotitis’,” a user wrote on Twitter.
In the meantime, India currently holds the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having won the last three series against Australia in 2017, 2018-19, and 2020-21. In contrast, Australia is aiming to win a Test series in India for the first time since 2004.
The series will also have a significant impact on the Test Championship finalists. While Australia has almost assured a place in the final, India must win the series in order to play in the penultimate game for the second time.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Sourav Ganguly’s news
Coward sala?????
— The King (@TheKing56998085) February 7, 2023
He's not dada, he's dalda pic.twitter.com/HKw6u6FUxH
— Vamsy Creazioniii (@thordarlingfan) February 7, 2023
Ganguly is not cut for test except that couple of centuries in debut and here and there some centuries. Subpar in tests.
— VGP (@VGPS1978) February 7, 2023
@Nicks103 can never forget how he ran away ?
— ?????? ????? (@GautamSodhi1) February 7, 2023
Nobody said how many tests Ponting skipped in this series due to Rank turner.
— JSK No 11 Batter (@boomrahboy) February 7, 2023
And the same Man delivered Century in Australia in the Opening Test Match series and that was the turning point of the entire series.
— Sandip (@ItsSengupta) February 7, 2023
Bhai tu akela nahi hai jo green wicket dekh kar injury ka bahana bana kar match se bahar ho jata hai pic.twitter.com/Hv57gRUEwy
— Ankit Pathak ?? (@ankit_acerbic) February 7, 2023
If I recall correctly, One of the commentators said on air that when he asked an Indian player about the nature of captain's injury ,the player replied "Suffering from greenotitis ".
— Amit Singh (@MPVMhsomeamit) February 7, 2023
Ye time tha jab Pitch Curators captain ki bahas hoti thi, news m hamesha aata tha, especially Bengal m match ho tab. Ab to bhaga dete hai Curator ko agar baat nhi suni.
— Bharbhuti ji (@crickdevil) February 7, 2023
Ganguly was totally right in skipping the match. The curator should give a pitch as per the specifications of the home team. That has always been the norm.
— Arjun Prabhu (@arjunprabhu) February 7, 2023
