By: Express Web Desk | Published:December 20, 2016 8:55 pm
Murali Vijay stayed back to greet the ground staff at Chepauk stadium. (Source: Facebook)
Local lad Murali Vijay remained behind as the rest of his team headed back to the the dressing room to thank the curators and the ground staff of the Chepauk stadium. Just as India made easy work of the monumental task of chasing down England’s first innings total of 477, the ground staff too tackled an even more daunting job of preparing the pitch for the five-day series just after Cyclone Vardah had wreaked havoc over Chennai.

Stories were coming out of Chennai days before the commencement of the fifth Test of how the cyclone had brought the city to a standstill, uprooting trees and tankers in its wake. There were also stories of how the ground staff at Chepauk had made sure that the field had enough cover to protect it from the harsh winds and rains lashing the rest of the city. As soon as the storm settled, the curators and groundstaff got to work on the parts of the stadium that needed fixing and to smooth out any rough edges that the pitch may have sustained in the cyclone.
They had used burnt coal to dry the pitch and made sure that it remained not just playable, but also sustain for the entirety of the Test match. The fact that the match went on without a ruffle is down to the groundstaff diligently guarding the pitch. As Chepauk curator PR Viswanathan said, “Trees fall, grass doesn’t fall.”
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Source: cricket:India vs England: Local lad Murali Vijay stays back with groundstaff, curaters