When Virat Kohli touched curator’s feet
India captain Virat Kohli and curator Daljit Singh walk back after inspecting the pitch at the PCA Stadium. (Express Photo by: Kamleshwar Singh)
The veteran curator and the aging pitch wait for Virat Kohli in the middle of the cloudy Mohali stadium. The first thing Kohli does after walking on the central square is to touch the 73-year-old Daljit Singh’s feet. In his more than 20 years association with the Mohali ground, Daljit has nurtured the 23-year-old pitch and seen the 26-year-old from Delhi grow from a talented junior to the country’s Test captain. He indulgently pats Kohli, acknowledging the young man’s intuitive act of reverence.
This genuine warmth between the Indian team management and the pitch in-charge at the start of the Test series is refreshing. The Mumbai bitterness hasn’t travelled to Mohali. The end of the 5th ODI at Wankhede was ugly. Team director Ravi Shastri and Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik know each other since their playing days, that is easily longer than the Daljit-Kohli association. But South Africa’s 438, series loss and the prickly pitch issue triggered a fight between the two of Mumbai’s famous khadoos. It also exposed the communication gap between cricket’s two important stake-holders. Looking at the long and cordial chat between Team India’s support staff (minus Shastri), Kohli and Daljit, it seems the lines have been restored.
It was expected. Daljit has been an old hand at this game. He knows the routine well. This isn’t the first time he is being chased by reporters or is surrounded by players and coaches. He knows what to speak, even when to speak. Today is the day to be silent. The famous Daljit Singh tour of the pitch for reporters takes place on match eve. He is known to be curator who never refuses what the players demand but eventually does what’s within rules. He has reputation. Since the lone loss in the opening Test in 1994, India has played 10 Tests here and never lost. The PCA plaque of the ground’s five-wicket hauls has names of Srinath, Harbhajan, Kumble, Balaji, Mishra and Zaheer. Daljit’s pitches aren’t rank turners. The names of pacers on the honour board prove this.
A dry wicket
Maybe, the South Africans aren’t aware of this. The touring team’s senior member Faf de Plessis was there at the ground early. He spoke about how the Indians are putting a bit of pressure on the groundsman to give them a slow track. “It looks drier than a pitch normally looks. We are expecting the worst, we expecting big spin on day one,” he was to say.
From the look of the turf — it is greenish yellow — and the history of the ground; Faf’s first day turn fears seem unfounded. MP Pandove, Punjab Cricket Association secretary, another permanent fixture at this venue puts a counter question: “Why should it turn from day one?” He explains: “It’s going to be a sporting wicket. It will have the freshness on day one, will be good for batting the next two days, and then break up on the last two.”
Daljit isn’t giving his verdict. He is behind the sightscreen eating and sharing freshly cut fruits. He calls it his lunch. The sun is setting; it’s been a busy day for the old but extremely fit curator who is on a gluten free diet. The coming days will be more hectic. Daljit has a tough job. The septuagenarian has to ensure that the two 20-somethings get along.
