Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq criticized the pitch used for the third Test between India and England. He was surprised to see the match ending in just two days and the ex-cricketer feels the pitch is not good for Test cricket.
Inzamam, on his YouTube channel, lauded India for their cricket in Australia and felt they didn't need to prepare such a pitch which isn't right for cricket.
"No one could have thought, and neither can I remember when was the last time a Test match got over in two days. Did India play that well or was it the behavior of the wicket? Should such wickets be part of Test matches?", he asked.
"I thought India were playing some brilliant cricket. They beat Australia earlier and made a brilliant comeback in the second Test, but preparing such a wicket, I feel is not the right thing to do with cricket," he added on his YouTube channel.
"Even scorecards in T20 matches read better than the one we saw in Ahmedabad. The ICC should take action on this. What sort of wickets are these that a Test match cannot even last two entire days? 17 wickets falling in less than one day… what are we playing on here? Sure, you take home advantage, spinning tracks should be made, but this sort of pitch I don't think should exist."
The 51-year-old recalled the Barbados Test between India and West Indies in 1997 where the pitch was deemed poor. India had failed to chase 120 and they were bowled out on 81 runs.
"I feel that as a former cricketer, such type of cricket should not be played. When teams come to the sub-continent that they will encounter spin-friendly encounters, but to this extent? I remember in the West Indies, in the fourth innings, it was such an uneven wicket. India needed some 100-125 runs to win (120) and they all got out (81), so much of noise was made even then," he added.
The third Test which saw Akshar Patel bagging 11 wickets in the match, also witnessed England captain Joe Root's best figure in the Test cricket. He picked up 5/8 in India's first innings.
"If Joe Root is picking up five wickets in six overs, you can imagine the condition of the wicket. Why should I praise R Ashwin and Axar Patel, when Root is picking up 5/8? Test matches have so many important elements, the venue, the ground, the umpire, referee, so a pitch should also hold some significance. Test match should look like a Test match. Don't think India would have derived the same satisfaction from this win as they did after beating Australia."
