"These kind of excuses that the curator got it wrong is typical of the SENA countries" - Sunil Gavaskar points out hypocrisy in pitch assessment
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has spoken about the blatant hypocrisy when it comes to pitch assessment of Indian rank turners compared to the treatment overseas wickets receive. The Newlands in Cape Town, recently played host to the shortest Test match in history as India defeated South Africa by seven wickets to level the series.
The Proteas were skittled out for just 55 after opting to bat first, and the surface was the talking point throughout the two days of action. South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince expressed his disappointment at the nature of the pitch, while Rohit Sharma stated that he does not mind such pitches as long as a similar silent treatment is employed in the case of Indian wickets as well.
The subcontinent pitches have constantly been scrutinized, with the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy being recent examples. Team India were accused of 'pitch doctoring' over a dry patch on the Nagpur pitch for the series opener even before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy began.
“These kind of excuses that the curator got it wrong is typical of the SENA countries. When our curators make a dry pitch then it’s ‘chicanery’, as a former Australian skipper said last year after the Aussies had been walloped in the first two Test matches," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.
"So our groundsmen do it deliberately, but their groundsmen just get it wrong. It’s like before the third country umpires came in, where decisions by their umpires were excused as ‘human error’ while our umpires were cheats and ‘Delhi Butchers’ and all such derogatory headlines," Gavaskar added
Team India will play a total of 10 Tests on home soil in 2024 as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, and the pitches will once again be the talk of the town.
"Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticized and allegations will fly thick and fast"- Sunil Gavaskar on England's upcoming tour of India
Team India's first home series of the current WTC cycle has been scheduled against England. The two sides will face each other in a five-match Test series, beginning on January 25 in Hyderabad.
England, especially their pundits, have been vocal about their criticism surrounding the Indian pitches over the years, and the upcoming tour will not prove to be any different.
“In about three weeks time another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whingeing and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticized and allegations will fly thick and fast,” Gavaskar concluded
Although England are the last team to win a Test series in India, they only have one win in the country across the last nine attempts.
What rating should the infamous Cape Town pitch receive for the recently concluded New Year's Test? Let us know what you think.