On this day: How a 'hair transplant' pitch abandoned IND vs SL ODI
Despite lasting only 23.3 overs, the match saw a lot of action. There was a wicket off the first ball, a dropped catch off the first ball of the second over, several blows to the body, thick edges flying past third man, and wickets for Zaheer Khan, debutant Sudeep Tyagi and Harbhajan Singh.
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Cricket matches usually end because one team scores more runs than the other. On December 27, 2009, in Delhi, the pitch ended the contest instead.The fifth and final ODI of the series between India and Sri Lanka at the Ferozeshah Kotla was abandoned after just 23.3 overs because the surface was deemed unsafe.
India had already won the five-match series, but this game never reached a sporting conclusion.
Instead, it became a reminder that a cricket pitch can take control of a match when it behaves beyond what players can reasonably expect.The Ferozeshah Kotla became the centre of attention for the wrong reasons after the match was abandoned following concerns over safety of payers. The decision brought an uncomfortable end to the series and even raised questions about the venue’s readiness to host international cricket.
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India had already sealed the five-match ODI series before the teams arrived in Delhi. However, only 23.3 overs were possible before officials decided that the surface offered "extremely variable bounce and was too dangerous for further play". From similar areas of the pitch, the bounce ranged from shin height to shoulder height.Batters could not trust length, pace, or bounce; but could only react and hope.Sri Lanka were asked to bat first. Within a few overs, it was obvious that this was not a normal contest between bat and ball.
Balls climbed sharply. Others stayed low. Some seamed off the grass, others died off bare patches. The danger was not theoretical. Batters were being hit.On a surface where deliveries of similar length behaved very differently within an over, Sri Lanka were fortunate to escape with only two blows that required medical attention. The uneven bounce made batting difficult and unpredictable throughout the short duration of play.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was on pitch-report duty, expressed his displeasure with what he saw. He described the irregular grass cover on the wicket as a "hair transplant" with bald patches. He explained that balls hitting grassy areas seamed and bounced, while those landing on bare patches stayed low. What added to the problem was that the areas producing such contrasting behaviour were close to each other.
Moisture in the pitch added to the difficulty.Despite lasting only 23.3 overs, the match saw a lot of action. There was a wicket off the first ball, a dropped catch off the first ball of the second over, several blows to the body, thick edges flying past third man, and wickets for Zaheer Khan, debutant Sudeep Tyagi and Harbhajan Singh. MS Dhoni, returning after a two-match ban, impressed behind the stumps, handling both low shooters and rising deliveries without conceding a single bye.