"In our desperation to qualify for the WTC final, we have lost the spirit of Test cricket" - Saba Karim on pitches used for IND vs AUS series

Former wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim recently expressed his displeasure over the quality of pitches being used in the ongoing four-match Test series between India and Australia.

He claimed that India have prepared rank-turners for their home Tests just to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Karim believes that it may not be the right thing to do, suggesting that the real spirit of Test cricket is lost because of such things.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out that the series is between the two top teams in world cricket, but the quality of pitches hasn't allowed good contests. During a discussion on India News Sports, Karim remarked:

"Australia have Steve Smith and India have Virat Kohli, arguably the top two batters in world cricket. But we haven't gotten to see their batting in this series. What are we trying to prove by making such wickets?

"In our desperation to qualify for the WTC final, we have lost the spirit of Test cricket. We have No.1 and No.2 teams competing here. It would have been a joy to watch them play if the contest was between all aspects of Test cricket."

Notably, the Indore wicket came under the scanner after many fans and experts criticized the dust bowl. The penultimate match of the series ended in the morning session of the third day itself, with Australia securing a nine-wicket victory.

"What is the point of playing Test matches on such pitches?" - Saba Karim urges the ICC to take an action

Saba Karim further stated that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to step in to ensure that home teams don't take unfair advantage of pitches in World Test Championship matches.

He reckons that nobody is going to benefit from playing on these kinds of tracks. Karim also suggested that Test matches would not go beyond the second day if hosting nations continue to prepare such surfaces.

"These are very bad signs for Test cricket," the 55-year-old added. "What is the point of playing Test matches on such pitches? I think all the cricket boards and the ICC must do something about this because otherwise, all teams will prepare pitches according to their strengths at home for World Test Championship matches.

"We'll see Australia leave around 5 mm of grass, and the match will be over in one and a half days. In India too, the matches will get over early because of the wickets."

Australia win the Third Test by 9 wickets.

#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 will aim to bounce back in the fourth and final #INDvAUS Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad 👍🏻👍🏻

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvAUS-2023-3… @mastercardindia https://t.co/M7acVTo7ch

The Indian team struggled on the turning track in Indore, getting bowled out for 109 and 163. While Australia won the encounter, Rohit Sharma and Co. have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, thanks to their wins in the first two fixtures.