Oz-India ODI
PCA curator inspects pitch
G. S. Paul
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 24
With a one day international (ODI) match slated to be held in the city on October 8 after a 14-year-drought, all eyes are focussed on the Sector 16 cricket pitch.

PCA curator Daljit Singh today carried out a preliminary assessment of the wicket at the stadium. As usual, answering clichéd questions, he gave a fervent one-liner, “You will see a good match here.”

The Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) had received the nod from the BCCI to conduct an ODI match between India and Australia. For the match, the association chose the Sector 16 cricket stadium, which will have a re-laid pitch.

Not willing to comment on the nature of the wicket, which is in its preparatory stage, PCA curator said, “It is a really beautiful venue and the pitch seems to be quite normal. We are working to make it better. Nothing specific can be said at the moment.”

Daljit observed that the square shape of the wicket needed improvement. “The outfield should also be made free of weeds, which destroy the grass,” he added.

The curator further advised that turfing be done on the ground. “The turfing will take another seven to eight days,” he said.

Coach Harish Sharma informed that the administration had ordered for grass mowers, which were the urgent need of the hour. “We will ask the horticulture department, which is maintaining the ground, to get more manpower so that the job is done before the rains begin. The whole process will take another 10 to 15 days,” Sharma said.

“We are working hard to produce a surface which will give good results,'' said general secretary of the Chandigarh Cricket Association Surinder Singh Baijee.

The stadium, where one international test, four ODIs and 30 first class matches have been held, offers top class facilities, including re-laid pitches, 11 practice pitches (nine turf and two cemented), a seating capacity of around 28,000, dressing rooms and media boxes.

Ambala’s Manav Das plays par round
Donald Banerjee

Chandigarh, July 24
Manav Das of Ambala returned a par-72 card as he finished one stroke behind the leader, Simarjeet Singh, after the first round of the Open Amateur Golf Championship at the par-72 Noida Golf Club in New Delhi today. The event forms the fourth leg of the Indian Amateur Golf Tour.

Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan was in third place after shooting a round of 73.

Chandigarh’s H.S. Kang, Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa, Delhi’s Gagan Verma and Siddhartha Arora were tied for the third place at 75.

Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Fatehbir Dhaliwal were a further stroke behind in tied eighth place at 76.

Manav Das had four birdies and equal number of bogeys in his round of 72. A tenth tee starter, he bogeyed the 10th and 12th interspersed with a birdie on the 11th where he chipped-in from the edge of the green. However, bogeys on the 15th and 16th saw him make the turn at three over. On his return leg, Das caught fire with birdies on the first, second and seventh to end the day at level par. “I started badly but found my rhythm on the back nine to card three birdies,” said Das.

“My iron play was good today and I putted well on the back nine,” he added.

Score (after 18 holes): 71 Simarjeet Singh; 72 Manav Das; 73 Abhinav Lohan; 75 Gagan Verma, Chikkarangappa, H.S. Kang, Siddharth Arora; 76 Ajeetesh Sandhu, Fatehbir Dhaliwal, K. Prabagaran, Kushal Thakerey, Parvesh Baisoya, Rakesh Kumar; 77 I. Panappa, L. Selvadurai, Mithun Perera, Rahul Bajaj.