The one-off Test series between Afghanistan and New Zealand was a monumental occasion for Afghan cricket, marking their first match against Kiwis! In the Sahid Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium, Greater Noida, which is a home ground for Afghanistan, the Indian groundsmen tried to serve the best ‘mehmaan nawazi’ with their unique ‘desi jugadu’ technique to let the game begin. Here are four such unique ideas adapted by the ground staff.
Day 1 was a washout, drenched by relentless rain and a soaked outfield. But come Day 2, the ground staff embarked on a mission impossible—to dry the pitch no matter what it took. They pulled out all the stops, determined to let the game begin. The game has not yet started, but they are trying. In the end, that’s what matters. Right!
Grass implantation
In a truly innovative move, the stadium staff came up with a great solution to combat the wet outfield—they decided to implant fresh grass over the wet patches! While this clever idea might have addressed the issue of soggy spots, it can uneven bounce on the field.
Sponge to sock in wet pitch
Have you ever seen a heavy roller used on a pitch with a sponge underneath to dry a wet pitch? In the Afghanistan vs New Zealand match, this was an effective technique used by the groundsmen.
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Electric fans
Electric fans were a new concept used to dry the ground. If you think about it, it’s actually quite effective since dryers work on a similar mechanism to electric fans.
Using stumps on wet areas
Another technique involved dig the wet areas with stumps. The groundsmen employed this method to speed up the drying process and prepare the field for play as quickly as possible.
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