Harbhajan Singh criticized India’s Test management for consistently preparing spin-friendly pitches that finish matches in 2-3 days, arguing that this approach has hurt the confidence of Indian batters.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh criticized the Indian team management for consistently preparing spin-friendly pitches designed to end Test matches in just two and a half days. In recent years, pitches in India have frequently been scrutinized, especially when teams like Australia and England visit.
India’s approach in home Tests has been clear: play to their strengths and secure quick wins. While this has contributed to India’s unbeaten streak of 17 consecutive series wins at home, it has also led to issues with the form of their batters.
Harbhajan argued that by producing tracks that favor spinners from the outset, India may be winning matches, but they are also halting the development of their batsmen, who struggle to adapt to spin, ultimately affecting their long-term performance in the longer format of the game.
“We’ve started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win but we wanted to win in two and a half days. I think, if we had produced normal pitches that started to turn from Day 3 and Day 4, we still would have won but the batters would have gotten time to settle in. And we wouldn’t be discussing the problems of our batters against spinners. We dented the confidence of our batters because anybody gets out (cheaply) on those pitches,” Harbhajan told Sports Tak.
These spin-friendly pitches have posed challenges for both visiting teams and India’s top batters, including Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, whose averages have significantly declined since 2020. While Kohli’s average dropped from 75 to 34 and Pujara’s to 24, only Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja averaged above 40.
Harbhajan Singh then pointed out the importance of relying on India’s bowlers to deliver results on standard pitches. He believes that playing on good pitches will not only increase the confidence of Indian batters but also secure wins.
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“We still have a chance (to rectify this). If we pay on good pitches, I don’t think anyone can beat India. The pacers that India have, the spin attack that there is, they would definitely win you Tests on Day 5 if not on Day 3. But if you play on good pitches, the batters will score runs, and their confidence will only go up when they score runs. So I don’t think our batters have forgotten to play spin but the conditions have been such (in the last few years) that it has become almost impossible,” he added.
India’s upcoming home series against Bangladesh begins on September 19 with two matches scheduled.
Last Updated on August 31, 2024
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