Sunil Gavaskar criticized the pitch debate, highlighting a perceived bias where India’s groundsmen are accused of deliberate actions while foreign counterparts are merely seen as making mistakes.
Newlands pitch criticism arose as South Africa scored only 55 runs in the first innings, later followed by India losing six wickets without adding any runs. Captain Rohit Sharma and South Africa’s batting coach Ashwell Prince condemned the pitch conditions and highlighted double standards in pitch scrutiny between SENA countries and subcontinent pitches.
After the Test match concluded within a mere one and a half days, Gavaskar expressed dismay over the blame directed towards groundsmen for pitch conditions.
Gavaskar highlighted Shaun Pollock’s remark, indicating that the curator “got it wrong” during the match in Cape Town. He highlighted the difference, noting that when Indian groundsmen prepare dry pitches, critics accuse them of deliberate tactics. However, when similar conditions occur elsewhere, it’s attributed to mere oversight.
“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. In about three weeks time another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whinging and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticized and allegations will fly thick and fast, ” he added.
India is presently gearing up for a five-match Test series against England, kicking off on January 25.
Last Updated on January 9, 2024
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