After watching a part of the Test match between Sri Lanka and India, we can safely assume that pitches don't impart much to the character of a match these days
When India clean swept England 3-0, there was a huge uprising against India preparing doctored pitches for their spinners. One of the major reasons why Champion teams are considered champions is because of the fact that they overcome the conditions and perform. For example, Australia covets the series wins over Sri Lanka and India because of the fact that they conquered the conditions and rose above them. Now that India and Sri Lanka are yet to win a series in Australia and South Africa, it takes some sheen of the fact that they are vying for supremacy in Tests
If we cast our eyes over the records, we would find that except for the 1980's every other decade virtually ensured that scoring over 500 would bring in a "no-loss" feeling for the team. The problem with every team trying to run up a score in excess of 500 and then putting the pressure on the opposition is the confidence of the captains on their bowlers. So basically the pitches have stopped aiding the bowlers and they are doctored to suit the batsmen more now. It was a good thing for cricket that India had prepared a doctored pitch against South Africa in Kanpur because it exactly told the Proteas that they were not yet ready to be an all-conquering team
Looking at the Carribean T20 cup, it is a shame that the teams have an assembly line of spinners who are ready to spear it into the batsmen for the sake of containment rather than actually attack them. Pace bowlers have virtually no backers in West Indies now and they are not without a reason because after the retirement of Courtney Walsh, there has been only one ten wicket haul by a West Indian bowler. It is actually the attitude shown by ICC that the pitches should support the batsmen that is actually shooting the bowlers in the toe
When India clean swept England 3-0, there was a huge uprising against India preparing doctored pitches for their spinners. One of the major reasons why Champion teams are considered champions is because of the fact that they overcome the conditions and perform. For example, Australia covets the series wins over Sri Lanka and India because of the fact that they conquered the conditions and rose above them. Now that India and Sri Lanka are yet to win a series in Australia and South Africa, it takes some sheen of the fact that they are vying for supremacy in Tests
If we cast our eyes over the records, we would find that except for the 1980's every other decade virtually ensured that scoring over 500 would bring in a "no-loss" feeling for the team. The problem with every team trying to run up a score in excess of 500 and then putting the pressure on the opposition is the confidence of the captains on their bowlers. So basically the pitches have stopped aiding the bowlers and they are doctored to suit the batsmen more now. It was a good thing for cricket that India had prepared a doctored pitch against South Africa in Kanpur because it exactly told the Proteas that they were not yet ready to be an all-conquering team
Looking at the Carribean T20 cup, it is a shame that the teams have an assembly line of spinners who are ready to spear it into the batsmen for the sake of containment rather than actually attack them. Pace bowlers have virtually no backers in West Indies now and they are not without a reason because after the retirement of Courtney Walsh, there has been only one ten wicket haul by a West Indian bowler. It is actually the attitude shown by ICC that the pitches should support the batsmen that is actually shooting the bowlers in the toe
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