Cheteshwar Pujara's injury while making a slide-stop at the boundary during the Royal Challengers Bangalore's tie against Kochi Tuskers Kerala raised eyebrows about the bumpy outfield at the Chinnaswamy Stadium
Cheteshwar Pujara's injury while making a slide-stop at the boundary during the Royal Challengers Bangalore's tie against Kochi Tuskers Kerala raised eyebrows about the bumpy outfield at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here yesterday.
The incident occurred in the fifth over when Brendon McCullum drove Chris Gayle through extra cover.
Tillakaratne Dilshan made an unsuccessful diving attempt and in the process hurt his knee.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara, who sprinted to the fence, also hurt his knee as he went down for a slide. The crowd was stunned into silence as the giant screen showed the youngster writhing in agony. Immediately, the stretcher came out and Pujara's anxious teammates ran towards him. Fortunately, Pujara was able to get back on his feet, which evoked a huge roar from the Bangalore crowd. He was escorted to the dressing room and the match resumed.
Over the years, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been thoroughly appreciated for its lush green outfield, but Pujara's injury has raised some doubts.
Bangalore fans are among the best in the country and the pitch here has more often than not been sporting, but such a bumpy outfield makes it dangerous for the fielders.
Former South Australia batsman and TV commentator Mike Haysman said that the incident must be scrutinised, one way or another. "If it's not the bumpy outfield that caused his injury, then it's poor fielding technique. One way or the other, the wise heads of the game must look into the incident," he told MiD DAY. "Pujara is an exciting talent, a promising young batsman. It's not a good sight to see a stretcher on a cricket field.
"The long off boundary doesn't have an even covering of grass. It's got a bald look towards it and that means the fielders have to make an extra effort to dive. You can see white patches all around the ground, an indication that it's not evenly covered with grass," added Haysman.
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