"Must have wickets with even bounce" - Dilip Vengsarkar slams Indore pitch for 3rd IND vs AUS Test
Former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar recently slammed the Indore wicket, saying that these types of pitches make a "mockery of Test cricket." The Holkar Cricket Stadium turf prepared for the third Test between India and Australia received criticism from all sections and Vengsarkar is the latest to join the bandwagon.
The opening hour of Day 1 saw five wickets fall, all to spinners as the pitch turned square from the very first ball. Overall, 14 wickets fell on the day, with spinners accounting for all of them.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who got out in the sixth over of the match, saw an 8.3-degree of turn. Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravindra Jadeja were also dismissed in deliveries with 5.9, 6.8, and 5.8 degrees of turn, respectively. The turn was coupled with an uneven bounce, which made the life of the batters extremely difficult.
Degree of turn of the first 5 dismissal of Indian team. https://t.co/NXBOAsactz
Vengsarkar reckoned that the pitch should have an even bounce to give equal opportunity to both batters and bowlers.
"The pitch makes all the difference if you want to watch good cricket," he told PTI. "You must have wickets with even bounce so that both batters and bowlers get equal opportunity. If the ball turns from day one and first session itself and that too with uneven bounce, it makes a mockery of Test cricket."
Australian spinner Matthew Kuhnemann picked up his maiden five-wicket haul as India were bundled out for 109 runs. Virat Kohli topped the scoring charts with a 22-run knock.
"Important to get crowds back for Test cricket" - Dilip Vengsarkar
What is this pitch!?? Day 1 first session how can the ball turn square, keep low like a day 5 broken wicket? They should have just stuck to whatever pitch/outfield they had in Dharamsala. Looks like another 2/3 day test match. Ridiculous.
#IndvsAus #Indoretest
Dilip Vengsarkar further stressed the need to have closely contested games, which will bring crowds back to the ground. The former Indian cricketer also highlighted examples from Test matches in England and Australia, where there is an even contest between bat and ball.
"It is important to get crowds back for Test cricket," he continued. "You see that in England and Australia but unfortunately it is not happening in India. People will come back to Test cricket only if it is interesting. Nobody wants to see bowlers dominating the batters from first session itself."
Meanwhile, Australia has come up with a much-improved batting performance as compared to the last two Tests. They have already secured a healthy 77-run lead in the first innings with five wickets still in hand.