By Baidurjo Bhose

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS): Be it a Test match, an ODI, a T20I or an Indian Premier League game, the square at the Arun Jaitley Stadium has over the years always been a talking point. And while it has often been on the lines of how it doesnt let batsmen play their shots freely, things have changed for the better in the last few years under curator Ankit Datta. And on Friday the Indian team management was pleasantly surprised to see freshness on the wickets.

Speaking to IANS, a member of the team management said that it was indeed a pleasant sight as T20 wickets are expected to be one where there are plenty of runs on offer and bowlers also get good bounce and carry.

"It was the freshness which pleased both the coaching staff led by Ravi Shastri and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma. In fact, the whole square looks very fresh," the member said.

Asked about the weather, he said: "Looks much better and am told things have improved from what it was a couple of days back. Shouldn't be a problem as it is a night game."

When contacted, a senior Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) official said that Ankit deserves credit for keeping the wicket fresh and ready for the game.

"Over the years, we have seen a hundred games being played at the Kotla through the year and neither does Ankit get time to work on the square, nor do the pitches get breathing time. You cannot get quality wickets if non-stop matches are played. But this time, he ensured that the wickets weren't used and they retained the freshness," the official said.