Himachal’s Dharamsala Stadium will get India’s first ‘hybrid pitch’

The HPCA stadium in Himachal Pradesh has installed a new type of pitch that is the first of its kind to be approved by the BCCI. 

• The hybrid pitch was installed by a company called SISGrass, which is based in the Netherlands. The new technology provides a more durable, consistent, and high-performing playing surface for international and IPL matches. 
• SISGrass entered the Indian market after the ICC allowed the use of hybrid surfaces for T20 and 50-over competitions. After successfully installing hybrids in English cricket grounds, SIS decided to develop the technology in India.
• Polymer fiber is added to natural turf inside cricket stadiums to make the surface more resilient to the stresses created during play, prolong the life of the pitch, guarantee an even bounce, and ease pressure on ground staff. 
• The Universal machine used in Dharamshala for the hybrid pitch will also be used in Ahmedabad and Mumbai to create more such pitches. 
• Hybrid pitches are approved for T20 and 50-over competitions in the UK and will also be used in the four-day County Championship matches this season. The Universal machine has already been used to install SISGrass at various grounds in England, including Lord’s, The Oval, Edgbaston, Old Trafford, and Trent Bridge.

What are hybrid pitches?

• Hybrid pitches, also known as 'stitched pitches', are cricket pitches with fine turf. They have plastic fibers, usually beige or green in color, stitched into them in a regular pattern of 20mm x 20mm grid to 90mm depth. 
• These fibers remain at the same cut length as the grass on the pitch and are installed using a specialist machine that needle-punches the fibers into the ground.

What are the benefits of hybrid pitches?

• Hybrid pitches have greater wear resistance and can host more games. Foot holes are shallower and need repairing less. Pitches recover more quickly after use due to the fibers that retain the natural grass plants. 
• Hybrid pitches maintain better and deeper drainage, which encourages better germination. They also maintain a more consistent pace and bounce due to uniform ground cover and reduced wear.