No Test series in India can escape the pitch debate. This debate has intensified in the last few years and cricketers from foreign teams, especially Australia and England, have created a lot of ruckus about it. India-Australia This debate had started even before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The third Test being played in Indore has further intensified this debate as the Holkar Stadium pitch has proved to be a disaster for the hosts India as well and it seems that this pitch is not going to get a good rating from the International Cricket Council.
There were talks about the pitch between India and Australia during the Nagpur and Delhi Tests as the matches in both the grounds were over within just 3 days. Despite this, the failure of the Australian batsmen in both those grounds was more responsible. However, what was seen in Indore was shocking for everyone. On the first day of the match which started on Wednesday, March 1, the spinners were on the attack in the sixth over itself and were getting a lot of turn. The Indian team was piled on only 109 runs.
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There will be action on the pitch of Indore
In such a situation, once again the debate of making less prepared pitches in this series was started again. According to the report of news agency PTI, ICC match referee Chris Broad is sure to take cognizance of the poor nature of the pitch and after giving average rating to Nagpur and Delhi pitch, the current Test match may get below average rating.
Despite electing to bat first, the Indian team could play only one and a half session and was reduced to 109 runs, while the Australian team lost four wickets for 156 runs, which resulted in the fall of 14 wickets in the day.
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Did BCCI make a mistake in the decision?
All teams want their favorite conditions on home soil but to what extent should the home ground advantage go? Another test is ready to end within three days. Is it good for sports? By the way, change in venue at the last moment is also a factor for the situation in Indore. If the match was announced to be shifted from Dharamshala two weeks in advance, did the curators get full time to prepare the pitch? Could the BCCI have done better to accommodate the last minute change? All these questions need to be answered.
joke of test cricket
Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar feels that the practice of playing Tests within three days in India makes a mockery of Test cricket. Vengsarkar said,
The pitch makes all the difference if you want to watch good cricket. You should have wickets with equal bounce so that both batsmen and bowlers can get equal chances. If the ball starts turning from the very first day and from the very first session and that too with uneven bounce, then it makes a mockery of Test cricket.
He said, for Test cricket, it is most important to invite spectators to the ground. You can see this in England and Australia but unfortunately this is not happening in India. People will come to watch Test cricket only if it is interesting. No one wants to see the bowlers dominating the batsmen from the very first session.
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No one wins, such pitches are not good
Criticizing the pitch of Indore, great Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden said, in any way spinners should not come for bowling from the sixth over itself. That’s why I don’t like pitches like this. From day one, the pitch should not be so low and turn-taking. It doesn’t matter whether Australia wins this test or India. Such pitches are not good for Test cricket.