Pitch talk continues to dominate the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy in India after Australia completed a nine-wicket in Indore Test which lasted just over two days. The pitch offered plenty of turn and bounce as the Indian team suffered batting collapses in their two innings at the Holkar Stadium.
India folded for 109 after winning the toss before Australia made 197 to take 88-run lead. The hosts fared a little better in their second dig as they were bowled out for 163 to set a small target of 76.
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Interestingly, despite losing a wicket with nothing on the scoreboard, Australia sprinted to the target in just 18.5 overs giving an indication the pitch had become better for batting.
Soon after the conclusion of the match, the ICC adjudged the pitch used for the match as ‘poor’ while adding three demerit points something which irked the legendary Sunil Gavaskar who was quick to remind how a Test between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane last year ended inside two days.
“One thing I would like to know, there was this Test match in November in Brisbane Gabba, where the match finished in 2 days. How many demerit points did that pitch get and who was the match referee there? I think 3 demerit points is a little harsh, because, in this pitch, yes the ball turned, but it was not dangerous. When Australia get to a score of 77 for the loss of one wicket it actually tells you that the pitch got a lot better,” Gavaskar said.
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor though argues that The Gabba laid out a pitch which didn’t favour either side and was equally harsh on batters of both the teams.
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“I think they’ve got to keep an eye on that sort of stuff because people look at the Gabba this season. The groundsman there just got it wrong,” Taylor told Sydney Morning Herald.
“He left too much grass on it but, in a way, it didn’t favour either side. It would have favoured the South African seamers just as much (as Australia) because they’ve got four very good seamers So I don’t think there was any skulduggery going on at the Gabba. I think with Indore, I hope I can say the same thing there, but what happened there, the pitch was so poorly prepared it actually made the game a bit more of a lottery, which didn’t favour India at all,” he added.
Taylor said India weren’t anticipating the Aussie spinners to dominate as much as they did. “It (pitch) probably brought Australia’s spin bowlers into the game a lot more than they (India) thought it was going to,” he said.
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