The first two Tests of the India-Pakistan series have seen the spotlight more on the 22 yards than the 22 players. There was one problem: Pitches aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, many doubts went unanswered. So we drafted in an expert — P R Vishwanathan, one of the most respected members of BCCI’s Grounds and Wickets Committee — to answer some hypothetical questions• Does grass on the pitch mean it has to be fast?Not really. Grass on the pitch doesn’t always mean speed and bounce. A lot depends on the rolling and watering. The surface on which the grass grows is vital. But one thing is sure: grass means the wicket wouldn’t break, the surface is not under-prepared. There are talented spinners who can get the break on grass too. Erapalli Prasanna is the best example. Even today, give him a pitch with some grass and he can turn the ball on it. So the general belief of a pitch with grass always aiding pacers, and pacers alone, is wrong.• What is an ideal Test pitch?There is a set pattern of play over the five days that helps one define a ideal Test pitch. On the first day, it should help the pacers. By the second session on the second day the pitch should ease and become easy for batting. Towards the end of the third the spinners should start getting the ball to grip the surface. On the fourth and fifth day the cracks should open a bit and the spinners get a bit more turn. The pitch should hold on and the spinners’ main interest area on the 22-yard should be the prominent footmarks.• Is a dead pitch accidental or intentional?A dead pitch, where the ball gets a consistent two-and-a-half feet of bounce through the five days, comes about only after sustained work by the groundstaff. It’s not that something has gone wrong in the pitch preparation. Abroad, they call it a ‘rolled over’ pitch, we call it a ‘patta’. If one waters and rolls several times a day from a few weeks before the match, one gets a totally dead track. It is a hard surface that has no wear and tear.• Pitch predictions: myth or reality? Can someone really predict the behaviour of the 22 yards before the start of the Test?People with deep knowledge of the game can certainly do that. Two of the better pitch readers are Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar. Both have a great reading of the pitches. There are tell tale signs on the pitch that one can see on the match eve. Example: How do you know that you need at least two spinners on the pitch? One has gently scratch the surface with the nail. If one gets some dust it means the ball will grip the pitch and the spinners will have a big role to play in the match.• Can true a Test pitch be prepared in India or the sub-continent? Or do we need to relay a pitch that will aid the pacers?It is very easy to have a perfect Test pitch in the sub-continent. This wouldn’t require any relaying or anything. There is this new school of thought that says that only the top surface is responsible for the pace and bounce of the pitches. But a curator should have a clear idea about what lies beneath the surface since that is responsible for the drainage of water. If a curator is sure about the foundation he knows how much to water and when to roll.
