AssamCricket Association (ACA) on Tuesday said that the use of hairdryers and steamirons to dry the popping crease during the first T20 match between India andSri Lanka on Sunday in Guwahati was part of the protocol.

Addressingthe media in Guwahati ACA general secretary Debajit Saikia said that the usingof hairdryers and steam irons were part of the BCCI 'protocol' to dry thepopping creases. "We have not done anything out of the protocol," Saikia claimed.

Hefurther said that "When the toss is done, we hand over the pitch to umpires andmatch referee.  So whatever was done onSunday was as per instruction of the umpires and match referee," he added.