Alright, let me walk you through how the ground staff at DY Patil get those pitches match-ready – saw it firsthand last Thursday. Woke up crazy early, like 4:30 AM, ’cause prep starts before sunrise when the dew’s still hanging around.
First Up: Clearing the Deck
Rolled into the stadium while it was still dark. Groundskeepers were already hosing down the entire outfield. Not just a light sprinkle – proper soaking to settle the dust. Then came the heavy stuff: dragging these giant metal rollers behind tractors back and forth across the pitch. One guy shouted over the noise, “Gotta compact the base layer hard, or it’ll crumble like biscuit!” Smelled like wet earth everywhere.
Grass TLC Phase
Sun came up, and they switched to grass mode. Watched ’em walk in straight lines, bent double, hand-trimming uneven patches with shears – no fancy mowers here. Then out came these weird wide brooms. They’d sweep gently but firmly to stand the grass blades upright. “Makes the ball sit pretty instead of shooting through,” one explained while wiping sweat. Next, the watering cans! Not sprinklers – actual metal cans. They’d dribble water in slow circles, checking with their palms to avoid puddles.
Dirt Work & Final Tweaks
Afternoon heat hit, and focus shifted to the pitch center. Guys scattered wood ash in lines to mark creases, rubbing it in with bare hands. Then came my favorite part: three groundskeepers crawling on knees along the length, pressing rulers into the surface every foot. Heard ’em arguing:
“Left side’s 2mm softer – add water here!”
“No, compact more at stump-end!” Spent ages tapping patches with knuckles, listening for hollow sounds. Finally, they rolled sticky tape over the pitch to lift stray pebbles and grass bits – like giant lint rollers.
Lockdown & Lessons
By dusk, they roped off the whole square. Guard stayed overnight chasing off stray dogs. Next morning, saw the curator drop balls from shoulder height, frowning at bounce patterns. “Good pitch won’t surprise nobody,” he told me. “Batters get timing, bowlers get carry – balance is everything.” Took ’em 72 sweaty hours for 22 yards. Wild.
