In an effort to wrap up games in two or three days, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh recently accused the Test management of undermining the batting confidence of the squad by consistently creating grounds that are spin-friendly.
When it comes to Test matches in India, the pitches always seem to steal the show. When major teams like Australia and England visit the country, the management makes every effort to create a surface that is appropriate for the hosts.
Runs are difficult to come by on the frequently favourable surfaces, and not just for the visiting team. Even veteran batsmen like Virat Kohli and numerous others have seen a significant decline in form recently. It is noteworthy that, of the players who have participated in more than eight home games since 2020, only Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja have averages higher than 40.
Speaking about the same subject, Harbhajan Singh disclosed that the playing pitches are the source of the issue.
He believed that the batters are being harmed by the notion of winning the Tests quickly. “We are now playing on pitches with a lot more spin. We were hoping to win in two and a half days, but we did end up winning. We still might have won, but the hitters would have had more time to adjust if we had delivered regular pitches that began to spin on Days 3 and 4. Furthermore, we wouldn’t be talking about our hitters’ struggles against spinners. We undermined our batters’ confidence since anyone can score runs on those pitches (cheaply),” Harbhajan said.
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He also said that no one can defeat India by themselves and that the Indian management should have faith in their bowlers. “We still have the opportunity to make this right. Nobody can beat India, in my opinion, if we pay on excellent pitches. India’s pacers and spin attack would undoubtedly win the Tests for you on Day 5, if not Day 3, according to Harbhajan.