Simon Doull, a former cricket player for New Zealand, recently voiced his thoughts on the matter and contrasted the pitches that are created in India and New Zealand. He said that he doesn’t mind if Indian pitches are criticized because they aren’t underprepared in the slightest.
The first round of the five-match series between India and England will take place at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday, January 25. The cricket community has been inconsolable at India’s inability to provide competitive pitches at home, therefore all eyes will be on the pitches that have been prepared for the series when the two titans of Test cricket square off.
“I don’t think the criticism of Indian pitches is fair in the slightest. Every Test pitch in New Zealand has between 15 and 18 millimeters of grass. That’s how New Zealand wins away from home; it would seam around for a day and a half. As long as the pitches meet criteria, I have no problem with India wanting to play at home. According to Hindustan Times, Simon Doull stated, “I don’t care if it turns from Day 1 as long as the pitch is not ill-prepared, rough, or looks ordinary on the opening day.”
Speaking ahead, he also voiced his worry that the next generation of Indian hitters isn’t accumulating significant runs because of the rough fields.
“My major concern is how these contemporary Indian hitters, like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, manage to score double hundreds in Test matches. We don’t expect these new Indian players to average 55, 54, or 53 like the Tendulkars, Dravids, Sehwags, and Laxmans did when we compare their careers to those of the prior Indian hitters. That’s because, according to Doull, they are competing on surfaces that are more conducive to spin.
Interestingly, Shubman Gill started his career in Australia, where he averaged 51.80 and made 259 runs in six innings. The 24-year-old’s average dropped significantly when he started playing in India, as seen by the 417 runs he has scored from 14 innings at an average of 32.07 on home ground, bringing his career average to 30.58. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has amassed 316 runs at an average of 45.14 from seven games, is yet to participate in a Test match in India.
I don’t think it will hold up over a series of five tests: Simon Doull
In addition, Simon Doull projected that England’s “Bazball” tactic in India would be ineffective over the course of five Test matches.
“I find the term offensive. However, I like the way they play. They shouldn’t and they won’t alter their style of play. Test cricket has made a comeback and has been attractive. They won’t change the way they play, in my opinion. Is it going to work? In one or two tests, perhaps. It won’t work over a five-test series, in my opinion. It’s insufficient to defeat an Indian team. Though I don’t think they can keep it up for a five-Test series, I think we are in for a fantastic Test series that will be fascinating regardless of how it ends,” he continued.
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