Venkat Sundaram, chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's pitches committee, has given a clean chit to the Delhi and District Cricket Association vis-a-vis the preparation of the pitch for the sixth and final One-Day International between India and Pakistan on April 17.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf are due to witness the match.
Talking to rediff.com in Delhi on Thursday after inspecting the ground, Sundaram complimented DDCA president Arun Jaitley and former India opener Chetan Chauhan, an office-bearer of the association, for doing "a wonderful job".
"There was a time when the media made some noises about the preparation of the pitch and wondered whether the match would be held at the Ferozshah Kotla ground at all. Now I can tell you with authority that the pitch has been laid and we have a wonderful outfield that could match the best outfield in the country.
"The main pitch is being watered and rolled every day and we are here on the ground to see to it that our instructions are carried out in letter and spirit," he said.
He lamented that the media never writes a good word about the curators or thanks the pitch committee for overseeing the preparation of the pitch.
"We had given a plan of action to DDCA on March 21 and I must congratulate Jaitley, Chetan Chauhan and their dedicated team of workers for preparing not just one but three pitches before the match," he added.
According to Daljit Singh, another member of the pitches committee, 68 sprinklers have been fitted on the ground "to keep the American grass" (Tiff 8419) wet.
"The grass can stand up to 45 degrees temperature," Singh said.
Asked what kind of pitch is being prepared for the match, Sundram said it would have an even bounce, and the number of runs scored on the pitch would depend upon the mental agility of the players.
"If someone gets out to a poor shot then you cannot blame the pitch. It is a nice pitch with even bounce. It is ready for the match and no other match would be played on the ground before the all-important one-dayer," he declared.
