MUMBAI: J&K did not take the field at the start of the third day of their ongoing Elite Group A Ranji Trophy clash against Baroda alleging that the pitch was tampered with overnight to favour the home team at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara, a report said on Saturday.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, J&K alleged that the pitch was tampered to help the home team Baroda force an outright win to ensure qualification for the quarterfinal stage and play was held up for one hour and 25 minutes in the first session on Saturday.
J&K, Baroda and Mumbai are involved in a three-pronged battled for knockouts qualification from Group A with only two teams from each group set to progress.
On Saturday, Mumbai crushed Meghalaya by an innings and 456 runs for their biggest ever victory by innings’ margin to win with a bonus point.
The contest in Vadodara, supposed to begin at 9:30 am, began only at 10:55 am on Saturday after the intervention of the match referee Arjan Kripal Singh.
According to J&K players and the team management, the surface was balanced on Day 2, but turned into a damp and unpredictable track at the start of Day 3, making batting significantly more difficult, an India Today report said.
When PTI contacted an official travelling with the J&K team on the matter, he denied having any such information.
“I do not know anything about it,” he told PTI.
The report added that match officials extended play by one hour on Saturday, with the Baroda Cricket Association stating that the dampness in the pitch was the cause, which is not unusual during the winter season.
J&K, resuming at 125/1 on Day Three, were bowled out for 284 in their second innings, setting a target of 365 for Baroda to win. The hosts reached 58 for two at stumps, needing another 307 runs on the final day.
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