Ind vs Eng, 5th Test: Groundsmen use burning coal trays to dry Vardah-hit Chennai pitch

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association is adopting every possible means to make the MA Chidambaram Stadium ready to host the fifth and final Test match between India and England starting tomorrow.

The ground, especially the pitch which is to be used in the final Test, has been under covers for the last few days, after the cyclonic storm Vardah made a landfall in and around Chennai resulting in very heavy rains over coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, even damaging some parts of the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

However, the groundsemen at the TNCA have found a unique way to dry and prepare a pitch that is quite a spinner friendly.

In a rare sight, groundsmen were on Wednesday seen using burning coal to dry the pitch.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain, who is a commentator on this tour for the official broadcasters, posted a picture on his Twitter and captioned it as "Ground staff trying to dry the pitch at Chepauk with coals."

"We, at times, use this method to remove dampness, if any. It was done to ensure the wicket wasn't damp. Today we had probably kept the burning coal for about 30-45 minutes,” Times of India quoted a groundsman as saying.

It was not just the pitch. The groundstaff put in a lot of hard work to get the ground back in order after being hit ‘severe’ cyclone Vardah.

According to the media reports, the seats in the stands, which were shattered on Tuesday, were back in place, and the outfield looked dry and the grass was levelled.

Meanwhile, India, already 3-0 up in the series, is ready the face the final battle at its ‘happy hunting ground’.  India, in the 31 Tests played here, have come out victorious in 13, while England have won 3 out of 8 Tests in Chennai. India clearly hold a massive psychological edge over their opponents.