Pak have dull day without grass

Miandad caught up with PCB chief curator Agha Zahid and then it seemed that their conversation had little to do apart from the pitch. The two had their fingers almost constantly pointing at the wicket. The discussion stopped only after ICC-appointed PCB pitch consultant Andy Atkinson came and put an arm around the Pakistan coach.

‘‘Hard luck, mate,’’ Atkinson was heard telling Miandad even as Zahid looked on.

Immediately after that, Miandad lauded Sehwag’s innings while speaking to The Indian Express, but refused to discuss what his conversation with Zahid was about. ‘‘We are still not out of the game and I still have a lot of confidence in my bowlers, because I know they can turn a match upside down in just one or two spells,’’ Miandad said.

But Zahid was more forthcoming, saying, ‘‘We were hoping for a bit more pace and bounce.’’ He added, ‘‘This pitch treats you how to be more disciplined and bowl on one side of the wicket, which sadly the Pakistani bowlers did not do.’’

Is that what the conversation was about? Was Javed complaining about the wicket? ‘‘That I cannot say,’’ Zahid said with a smile, adding, ‘‘he was talking to me about the way his bowlers had done today.’’

The track was as flat as they come in the subcontinent and did not offer any joy to the home team. But just two days ago the wicket had grass all over it, all of which Atkinson himself mowed out yesterday.

According to sources in the PCB, apparently the curators were under instructions from the Pakistan team management to cut off the grass, as they were ‘‘worried that the grass would aid the Indian swing bowlers’’. The worry was Irfan Pathan who would have ‘‘appreciated the grass cover much more than the faster Pakistani bowlers’’. With an inexperienced batting line-up that was the last risk Pakistan wanted to take.

But the other logic for the grass being cut was that with a lush outfield, it would be very difficult for the Pakistanis to scuff up one side of the ball and use their reverse-swinging. With a dry pitch the hosts felt they would be better-placed to employ reverse swing. But all those permutations and combinations have clearly failed, as for once, the coin didn’t end up Inzamam’s way, and the Pakistanis didn’t get to take a call on the Day One show.