How to prepare yourself for bouncy wicket ?

[silentstriker]

Really ICC asked India to stop preparing those pitches

ICC asked for an explanation because the match ref complained. The match ref bought into the idiocy that good for pace = good, and good for spin = bad. And ICC are stupid. Paper pushing idiots.

And NZ didn't play better than India in that series.
Win the toss and win the match in ODIS. And in test had Srinath bothered to play, India could have easily rolled on NZ . Zaheer was the main bowler and he bowled well and he lacked a support fast bowler.

Srinath was the best bowler in ODI series

Don't care or want to care what happened to ODIs. Don't really want to argue who played better. One team won, the pitches were fine. End of story.

[Burgey]

I think I just want to see variety in pitches. If every pitch bounced and moved deluxe it would get boring too. Same when the majority are roads or if they all broke up and spun.

As SS said, it's test cricket, different conditions is what It should be about imo.

[Sir Alex]

What really happened to old Perth pitch? I remember it being called during it's and West Indies' glory days. But of late it's just another flat track with reasonable bounce. Was it deliberately made mellow or weather factors made it so?

[Burgey]

What really happened to old Perth pitch? I remember it being called during it's and West Indies' glory days. But of late it's just another flat track with reasonable bounce. Was it deliberately made mellow or weather factors made it so?

Think it just got old and slowed down mate.

Sadly, a familiar feeling for some of us

[Top_Cat]

What really happened to old Perth pitch? I remember it being called during it's and West Indies' glory days. But of late it's just another flat track with reasonable bounce. Was it deliberately made mellow or weather factors made it so?

Has been dug up multiple times over the years and apparently the soil used has progressively been lower in clay. Can't blame the dry weather, Perth is always bloody dry. Pretty sure the WACA Test in '97 where Greg Blewett was bowled by Ambrose by an impossible grubber helped hasten changes in the pitch, especially after they sacked the curator.

[Teja.]

I want Old Perth Wicket back, I want 3 people hit per Innings, I want blood, I don't want centuries, I want bloody test cricket.

The NZ series was friggin' awesome.

[Debris]

What really happened to old Perth pitch? I remember it being called during it's and West Indies' glory days. But of late it's just another flat track with reasonable bounce. Was it deliberately made mellow or weather factors made it so?

It certainly was not deliberate. The WACA loved the reputation of having the fastest pitch in the world and are doing everything possible to restore it to that state.

[honestbharani]

Attend academy. Crank bowling machine to 90 mph. Tip machine down so facing half way down pitch. Put helmet on. Pray.

Repeat until proficient.

In the fair dinkum stakes though, throw downs aren't bad. Have seen the Test guys work on their short-ball techniques this way. And it can be worked on - Hayden had problems with it early, but went away and just worked his arse off on the problem. Came back a fine player of the short ball.

Did enjoy the look on Raina's face the other night after he top edged the first one for four. All due respect to the kid, he did not want to be there.

But these guys are talented players. If they work on it they can overcome the problems they have with it. Part of that would be to get over the macho idea that you have to take the short stuff on all the time. You'd don't, as Steve Waugh demonstrated.

Still, confess I'm hoping the WACA is back to its glory days when India next tours.

What you say makes sense and to be completely honest, quite a few of this outfit CAN, IMO, take the short stuff in test cricket and ODIs, to an extent, where they can duck or weave away and leave the balls alone.


It is pretty different in T20s though where the nature of the game dictates that you need to attack the ball, no matter where it is pitched... I am in fact pretty amazed that the same tactic is not tried against other teams. If you got guys who can bowl short and quick, then have them do it in T20s, AFAIC... It is difficult to get the pull and hook right every time, esp. with 5 men on the onside and 2 deep behind square and the risk of playing these shots for a single means it is always a worthwhile tactic.

[Burgey]

What you say makes sense and to be completely honest, quite a few of this outfit CAN, IMO, take the short stuff in test cricket and ODIs, to an extent, where they can duck or weave away and leave the balls alone.


It is pretty different in T20s though where the nature of the game dictates that you need to attack the ball, no matter where it is pitched... I am in fact pretty amazed that the same tactic is not tried against other teams. If you got guys who can bowl short and quick, then have them do it in T20s, AFAIC... It is difficult to get the pull and hook right every time, esp. with 5 men on the onside and 2 deep behind square and the risk of playing these shots for a single means it is always a worthwhile tactic.

Yeah. It's a risk/ reward strategy for sure, but in this day and age where blokes bomb knee high balls over long off for six, it's worth a shot for sure.

[Top_Cat]

In fairness to the Indians (and everyone else, really), OZ are the only team with two all-out speed merchants. Their play against the short stuff might not have been awesome but literally everyone has struggled against Nannes/Tait. As long as they're on top of their games, it'll be tough. OZ's worries will start if both of them have an off-day on the same day, though, and the problem is that they might both do so in, say, the final. Without a good first 6 from them, the rest of the Aussie attack looks a whole lot worse.

[honestbharani]

well, at least my predictions are coming true for Australia and India.

[Burgey]

In fairness to the Indians (and everyone else, really), OZ are the only team with two all-out speed merchants. Their play against the short stuff might not have been awesome but literally everyone has struggled against Nannes/Tait. As long as they're on top of their games, it'll be tough. OZ's worries will start if both of them have an off-day on the same day, though, and the problem is that they might both do so in, say, the final. Without a good first 6 from them, the rest of the Aussie attack looks a whole lot worse.

This.

[Jono]

Yeah some good posts here.

Will state though that the pitch is obviously relevant. There are times during the IPL when Nannes was unplayable. Other times he struggled when either he was having an off day, or the pitch was too damn flat or slow.

Barbados has been perfect, and Nannes and Tait have bowled well in conditions that suited. That = trouble, particularly when teams are batting 2nd and have the pressure to chase down a total.

[Sir Alex]

Thanks Burgey, Top Cat and Debris.

I remember reading somewhere it being referred to as an Away pitch for Australia, (or was it home pitch for Windies?) during the 80s and early 90s.

[Top_Cat]

Yeh and that's even with a side stacked with Perth natives generally. Gah, does my head in thinking about some of the panic selections of the time.