England vs India, Headingley Test: Curator aims for 'balanced pitch'
What's the story
Richard Robinson, the Headingley Stadium chief curator, has revealed his plans regarding the pitch preparation for the first 1st between hosts England and India.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Robinson's goal is to offer a "good balance between bat and ball."
The statement comes just two days before the highly anticipated series opener between the two sides, starting June 20 in Leeds.
Match duration
Robinson aims for five-day contest
Robinson stressed his desire for the match to last a full five days, unlike some recent India-Australia matches that ended in three days.
"It is supposed to be quite a hot forecast so it is good to leave a little bit of moisture to start with and see how it goes," he said about the pitch's current condition.
Pitch preparation
Pitch will be well-watered, says Robinson
Robinson also shared his strategy for preparing a balanced pitch.
He said, "The grass will get trimmed down. It has been a very dry summer for us, so we are injecting a lot of water into the pitch so that it holds together for five days."
He hopes this approach will ensure an even contest between bat and ball throughout the match.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the pitch grass will down to 8mm before the start.
Information
India's squad for England Test series
India squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Wicket-keeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Harshit Rana.
Headingley
How India have fared at Headingley
Between 1952 and 2021, India have played seven Tests at Headingley, as per ESPNcricinfo.
The visitors have won two and lost four matches here, with a solitary game ending in a draw.
Notably, India lost their first three Tests at this venue (1952, 1959, and 1967). While the 1979 Test was drawn, India won in 1986 and 2002.