Pitch in spotlight as curator accuses Gambhir of interference

Delhi team management's lack of communication with the establishment again came to the fore today when Feroze Shah Kotla curator Venkat Sundaram accused skipper Gautam Gambhir of "interfering into his job" ahead of their Ranji Trophy final group league encounter against Karnataka tomorrow.
Having played three of their home matches on a seaming Roshanara track, Delhi team had been forced to play their final game at the Kotla -- a ground which is not to their liking as they feel the wicket does not produce results.
Gambhir and Co. Had relented because Roshanara, being a private club, will not be available from December 30 due to its own 'New Year Bash' on the ground.

With 19 points from seven matches, Delhi are aiming for seven points for which Gambhir apparently wanted a rank-turner which will produce results against Karnataka who are already through to the knock-out stage with 32 points.
On the eve of the match, BCCI's chief curator Daljit Singh, Sundaram and DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan were seen to be having a discussion at the centre strip at the Kotla.
"We are doing some corrections as per chief curator's insistence. The loose grass is being removed and we are using light roller with some sprinkling of water. We will be going with two spinners," Chauhan, who is also chairman of selectors, said.

Former Delhi opener Sundaram has had his differences with the Delhi team over the past years but things have now turned from bad to worse with his differences with Gambhir coming out in the open.
"If you have to fiddle with pitches so much then you are not fit for playing Test cricket," fumed Sundaram, referring to Gambhir's repeated insistence on getting the grass shaved off to make it a turner," Sundaram said.