This time, a belter in Kanpur

It8217;s been more than seven months since India thrashed South Africa in three days, but Green Park curator Shiv Kumar remembers the Test match as if it had ended.

It8217;s been more than seven months since India thrashed South Africa in three days, but Green Park curator Shiv Kumar remembers the Test match as if it had ended yesterday.

8220;There was a lot of criticism about the pitch. There was just one ball that misbehaved in that match. It was the ball on which Rahul Dravid was dismissed 8212; it got big on him after pitching on length,8221; Kumar launches into a long explanation at first mention of the game. 8220;It was just this ball that was bad in the entire match. And, by the way, India didn8217;t win the match, South Africa lost it.8221;

After the defeat, the South Africans had raised concerns over the state of the pitch, and coach Mickey Arthur had called it the most under-prepared track in the world. The ICC had also got involved, asking the BCCI to explain its actions. No action was taken but the inquisition, as far as Kumar is concerned, is still going on.

8220;It8217;s amazing how the media got after me. Everybody forgot that it was a last-wicket partnership between Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth that really turned the match in India8217;s favour. If those two could stick around and put on 50 runs for the last wicket, you don8217;t need to guess which set of batsmen failed,8221; Kumar says.

In hindsight, he says he would8217;ve been happier if South Africa had won, because it would8217;ve saved him all the trouble, which was compounded by the fact that stand-in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave him a Rs-10,000 reward after India8217;s victory.

8220;It8217;s no big deal, even Ranji captains give out money to the ground staff after the matches. Just because someone was making noises about the pitch, this was blown out of proportion by the media,8221; Kumar says.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama, who had submitted a report to the ICC over his concerns about the track during that Test match, will be officiating again as India take on England in the third ODI here on Thursday. And he wants to meet Kumar before the match.

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8220;I8217;ve not been told directly, but I8217;ve heard he wants to meet me. But please don8217;t read anything into it,8221; he says, adding that former India captain Sourav Ganguly had liked his work too. 8220;Even though we drew against South Africa in 2004, Sourav came to me and said 8216;Don8217;t change this pitch for anyone8217;.8221;

Asked about the upcoming match against England, Kumar says the pitch will offer a lot of bounce. 8220;The ball will come nicely onto the bat, and except for the first six overs, where dew will play some part, the pitch will be the same in both innings,8221; Kumar says.

8220;There is a good chance that 294 runs, which is the highest ODI score here, may be crossed on Thursday.8221;