Here, we take the clock few months back in the Kolkata Test between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens. Failure by India to pursue a small goal of 124 resulted in the conclusion of the match within two and a half days, and immediately caused a worldwide discourse of pitch quality. The critics were quick in pointing out that it provided too much support to the spinners in the very first session, and was not conducive to Test cricket. The debate over the 22 yards was spoken much later even after the game was long over.
This is not rare when the Test matches are hosted in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. When the matches in the subcontinent are prematurely ended, pitches are always accused of giving results too fast. With the introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) there has been further encouragement to curators all over the world to produce result oriented pitches and avoid the occurrence of draw as well as pivot results.
But very little such reproach usually attends Tests played in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or England–even when matches there are no more promptly determined. One such bitter indisputable case was the January 2024 Test between India and South Africa that ended in only a day and a half. The traditional pitches, which tended to smooth after the new ball had been thrown, have died out to a large extent in Australia, too, and some recent Tests were completed in less than three days.
The current series of Ashes has simply sparked this debate again at Melbourne. The opener at Perth was concluded within two days and Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was no exception. On the first day, 20 wickets were taken, with the second day, which was actually the last day, bowling out Australia at 132, and England needed 175 to win the first game of the series.
The fact that it is only spinning that has been criticized in India but the tracks that are conducive to seam use are not addressed raised eyebrows by former England spinner Monty Panesar.
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