Drop-in Pitches are once again in the news as they have added to the excitement that has gripped the cricket fans over the ongoing Test series between India and Australia, the two best teams in this format. The entire India-Australia Test series is being played on Drop-in pitches. The cricket fans are curious to know the nature of these pitches as well as their impact on the performance of the two teams.
A drop-in pitch is a pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue in which it is used, and "dropped" into place for a match to take place. This allows multi-purpose venues to host other sports and events with more versatility than a dedicated cricket ground would allow.
When its time for cricket, the pitches are brought on a 30-tonne customized trailer and put onto cement slabs that sit 20 centimeters deep inside the ground. Once the cricket season is over, the pitches are pulled up by the same machine that brought them in and pits where they set are filled with sand and then the artificial turf is rolled over them so the ground looks like one uniform circle of grass.
Australian Stadiums such as the Melbourne cricket Ground, the Adelaide Oval or the Optus stadium in Perth, use Drop in Pitches during the cricketing season as they don’t just host cricket matches. They also host football, rugby and AFL contests on the same grounds.
The early observation of the pitches Was that the pitches were too flat and the natural speed and bounce of the ball was not upto the mark as drop-ins were prepared in steel casings that held them together, they didn’t crack and deteriorate the way regular pitches do. However, the new pitches have more bounce and do more off the seam.
Drop-in pitches are good for the multi-sport grounds like the MCG, the Optus Stadium or the Adelaide Oval but the experts vouch to utilize the natural turf on wicket in order to have a good game of cricket and retain the uniqueness.
