Pitch curator promises high scoring 4th ODI

The curator has promised a high-scoring clash when India takes on West Indies in the fourth ODI at the Holkar Stadium here on Thursday.

Indore: The curator who prepared the pitch at Gwalior last year when Sachin Tendulkar stroked his way to an unbeaten double century has promised a high-scoring clash when India takes on West Indies in the fourth ODI at the Holkar Stadium here on Thursday.

"It`s going to be a batting track full of runs," said Samundar Singh Chauhan ahead of the fourth ODI in the series in which India lead 2-1 following West Indians` superb 16-run victory in the third game at Ahmedabad last night. "I have started the pitch preparations on the 25th (November)," he added. Asked whether a score of 300 was possible, Chauhan said: "A score of 300 can be set as well as chased but it depends on how the team goes around it." It was Chauhan who had prepared the pitch at the Roop Singh Stadium for the February 24, 2010 ODI between India and South Africa where Tendulkar had scored a record double ton, a feat that has not been repeated since. Tendulkar had notched up an incandescent 200 not out in India`s massive total of 401 for 3 against the Proteas. The South Africans were then shot out for 248 as India raked up a massive 153-run victory. Tendulkar has skipped the current ODI series against West Indies and is scheduled to leave for Australia alongwith other senior players such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Chauhan was also the curator when the master batsman completed 10,000 ODI runs at this city in 2001 at the old multi-purpose Nehru Stadium. Tendulkar had scored 139, requiring 34 to become the first-ever player to climb the 10,000-run summit in ODIs, in India`s big score of 299 for eight against Australia. On that occasion too the team that batted second, Australia, slumped to a massive defeat by replying with a paltry 181 all out. PTI