Leeds curator tips 300 as par score in 1st innings of India-England opener

With the much-anticipated five-match Test series between India and England set to begin at Headingley on Friday, attention has turned to the pitch preparation, being meticulously overseen by Leeds’ chief curator, Richard Robinson.

Determined to produce a surface that can last the full five days, Robinson is weighing multiple factors, including the unseasonably dry summer and a looming heatwave, to avoid a premature finish to what promises to be a high-octane encounter.

With both teams finalising their preparations, Robinson and his grounds crew were spotted fine-tuning the pitch, a verdant strip that still retained some moisture, just four days ahead of the opening Test. The curator admitted to keeping several options open to align with what the England team may request closer to match day.

“It`s supposed to be quite a hot forecast, so we`ve got to leave a little bit of moisture in to start with and see how it goes nearer the time, see what the England team wants. It will look a lot different, probably even by this afternoon,” Robinson told RevSportz.

He added that the summer`s dry conditions have made pitch maintenance particularly challenging. “It`s been a very dry summer for us, using a lot of water, trying to get a lot of water into the depth of the pitch, just so it holds together. Hopefully, it will hold together for the five days, and we won`t have a three-day Test match!”

Historically, Headingley has provided a fair balance between bat and ball, with an average first-innings score hovering around 298. Robinson expects similar figures this time, though he anticipates more runs could be on the cards as the match progresses.

“I think if they get 300 in the first innings, they`ll be good, maybe the two innings after that might be slightly higher, we`ll see how it goes. I`m hoping it`ll just be good for both bat and ball. Hopefully, there`s a bit in it for everybody,” he said.

Weather forecasts indicate daytime temperatures of around 27–28 degrees Celsius, unusually high for this part of the UK, which could result in the surface flattening out as the game unfolds.

(With ANI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day