Former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta while talking about the pitch conditions of third Test match, which has been in lots of talk, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad said that a bad pitch is one that is physically dangerous or is one that doesn’t help the bowlers anyway.
Thriving on left-arm spinner Akshar Patel and veteran off-spinner R Ashwin’s skills, India thumped England by ten wickets in the third Test match of the four-match Test series to take an inaccessible lead of 2-1.
The pink-ball Test between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium lasted less than two days and for just 842 deliveries, shortest Test since an England-West Indies contest in 1934-35.
Out of the 30 wickets, 28 were taken by the spinners as batsmen from both the teams struggled and failed to breach the 150-run mark in their innings which brought the pitch under scrutiny as the spinners make hay.
The pitch conditions, which offered turn from the first session itself, has prompted many pundits to call for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to interrupt and rebuke the hosts for such kind of pitches.
Commenting about the same, former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta categorised bad pitch in two ways- one type is which can be physically dangerous while other is that where Team can score 600-700 runs and there's nothing for bowlers.
“For me, I think a bad pitch is one that is physically dangerous. We have seen a few of these pitches where the ball is bouncing or spatting from a good length and there is a physical danger to the players - that is one.
“The other bad pitch is where there is absolutely no life for anyone, so you could look at some of those pitches where you score 600-700 runs (and there is) nothing for the bowlers at all,” Deep Dasgupta told sports today.
Dasgupta further said that he's delighted that Test match pitches have been bowler-friendly in the last few years.
“And we also have to understand that as far as pitches are concerned there has been a trend and I don’t know if it is a conscious effort or it is just happening otherwise is the fact that when you look at white-ball cricket the pitches are very flat, which is very pro-batting.
"But in the last few years, the Test match pitches have been bowler-friendly, whether it is seam bowling or spin, but it has been bowler-friendly, and I like this,” he said.
The fourth Test match between India and England will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad on 4th March.
(Sports today inputs)
