Every time a non-Asian team visits India for a Test tour, all the focus shifts to pitches. Why? Because India has been producing more spin-friendly tracks off late, but are they that bad that not cricket but pitches remain the major talking point?
Several former Australian cricketers and press have issued statements, lamenting India’s expected “unfair” pitches even before a ball is bowled in the Border Gavaskar Trophy!
“I think the Indian curators are looking at a way for India to have an advantage,” former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie told SEN WA Breakfast.
“They potentially think spin will play a huge role and that for the best chance to beat Australia will be to play to their strength. Here in Australia, curators are under instructions to produce the best possible pitch they can prepare, that’s Australia wide.”
Steve Smith inspects the Nagpur pitch ahead of 1st Test | Cricket Australia
Aussies accuse India of doctoring pitches
Similar statements have come from several other former Aussie cricketers. Many have accused India of preparing a “doctored pitch” at Nagpur, the venue for the first Test between India and Australia.
Now, the question is: what makes a cricket pitch fair? “A pitch where there is something for everyone!” Right? That should be the definition but what about the home advantage? You travel to Australia and nine out of ten times, you are sure to find a track where there is help and a lot of it for pacers because the pace is their strength.
Cricket Australia
Are spinning tracks good for Test cricket?
So, if India prepares pitches that are helpful to spinners, should that be questioned? Well, again, it is about the perspective. If the pitch has help for spinners and ends within two days, could it be justified as making the most of home advantage?
A good cricket track is result-friendly but the result should be a hard-fought one. Ideally, a pitch where we have a winner on the fifth day of the Test match could be called a good one.
So, would the Nagpur pitch give us a good game of cricket? While Aussies seem to be upset with what’s coming their way at Nagpur, reports suggest Indians aren’t happy either. As shocking as it might sound but it has come to the notice that India’s head coach Rahul Dravid has requested a last-minute change in the pitch.
What do numbers say about the Nagpur pitch?
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken the most number of wickets at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur in Tests. He has 23 wickets in 3 matches followed by Ishant Sharma, who has 19 scalps in 6 matches to his name at this venue.
Of the top five wicket-takers at the ground, four are spinners (among the three from India, two are part of the current Indian squad: Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja). It does signify that the venue has historically supported spinners and it shouldn’t be a surprise for Australia if they are offered a rank turner.
If that’s what has been the case, the question again goes back to this: why’s so much noise about the Nagpur pitch? Well, is that a tactical punt from Aussies or Indians are just deceiving the visitors? We will know it all as the match gets underway on Thursday.
