Canceling games due to poor drainage facilities has recently become a troubling trend in India, with venues like Green Park Stadium in Kanpur and the Greater Noida Sports Complex drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. These stadiums, plagued by inadequate drainage, were widely criticized. (More Sports News)
However, this time, Jaydev Unadkat took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the SNR College Ground 1 in Tamil Nadu, which displayed a refreshing contrast during the Ranji Trophy fixture between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu, proving that quality facilities can make a difference even in challenging conditions.
Waterlogging and poor drainage was a major problem for the Test matches between India and Bangladesh and the lone Test where Afghanistan welcomed New Zealand. However, this is not the situation everywhere. The Ranji Trophy match between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu may have found itself in a similar situation while non-stop rains pelted them.
But not in Tamil Nadu: management here had the turf ready for play in just 12 hours, defying rains that did not let up. This impressive feat thrilled Saurashtra skipper Unadkat, who cannot wait to share this news with his fans and the cricket fraternity through social media.
“From the 1st slide to the 2nd..in a matter of 12 hours, Tamil Nadu has the best infrastructure for all levels of cricket and that’s probably the reason why they are home to a beautiful legacy of champion cricketers, past & present both!” Unadkat tweeted on his 'X' handle.
“Although we finished on the losing side in this game, I was pleasantly amazed at how quickly the groundsmen were able to turn things around after heavy rains on 3rd day evening and the match started at dot 9.30 am on 4th day morning! After all, it does take more than just good players to be a champion team! I hope every association would take an example from this. Well done TNCA,” he added.
As the monsoon rains approach, waterlogging is going to give this game of cricket a tough time. Case in point would be in Bengaluru, where rain has delayed the match between India and New Zealand.
Thankfully, that particular M Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its incredible drainage systems, allowing the game to resume as soon as the rain stops. However, this isn't the case everywhere, ironically highlighting the massive need for quality infrastructure development in India.
However, the game didn't turn out well for Unadkat's side as Tamil Nadu managed to pull off a major win as they outclassed Saurashtra by an inning and 70 runs. In the second inning, Gurjapneet Singh dazzled with six wickets for Tamil Nadu and Sonu Yadav pitched in with three wickets.
