Will The Toss Decide The Fate Of A Test Match..indian Cricket On The Back Foot:

[miheershah]

After succumbing to a crushing deafeat by the hands of ausssies in 35
years of our history every one thought india will salvage some pride
against a much raw and inexperienced proteos . But proteos proved in
kanpur that they can tackel the spin trio and if they cant score
quickly enough they are capable to avoid defeat . There is a big
debate on the pitches right from the nagpur test when skipper
ganguly express unhappiness over pitch and then the underprepared
mumbai track and now the dull nagpur wicket which had hardly anything
for any bowlers .
What do we want to win a test match a turning track??No a turning
track with un even bounce is that enough ??Nope you still need to
win the toss also ..........!!
Where are we heading for ?This is the same side which is said to have
a best battingline up in the world and have drawn a series in
australia and won in pakistan . But suddenly all batsman short of
form and short of attitude has leads to this . ICC shgould have
proper guidelines on how a test match wicket should behave .It should
assist seamers on every morning of the test good for batting for
first 3 days and then should turn on fourth and fifth day.
Are we wanting such a pitch that wins us match or a seires like
mumbai track then why we need the Tendulakrs the Dravids and kumbles
and zaheer !!Real pride is in adjusting to the conditions and the
winning with your performance on the field for that to happen we need
to take aleaf out of aussies book.

 

[Richard]

It is not possible to have a "perfect" pitch. Some pitches should assist the seamers, some should assist the spinners, and some should assist neither. What we do not need is the plethora of Green Park-like wickets (that assist neither). Nor do we need too many Wankhede Stadium pitches (but nonetheless, the odd one here and there is an intrinsic part of the game and always will be, it's surprising how often those games are thrillers).
And with regards the batsmen: I've said it several times: the Indian batting-line-up has been supposedly in crisis plenty of times before now, and while this period has lasted longer than I expected it to, I'm still thoroughly confident that we'll see the best of Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman and Ganguly before all that long.
I mean, Tendulkar has had 15 single-figure scores in his last 26 Test-innings, or something like that. Pretty soon, someone is going to pay, big-time. The current schedule makes it look, sadly, like it might be England this time next year.

 

[EnglishRose]

IMO this Calcutta track for the ongoing test against RSA is a pretty good wicket.
Something for everyone there.

 

[Beleg]

I mean, Tendulkar has had 15 single-figure scores in his last 26 Test-innings, or something like that. Pretty soon, someone is going to pay, big-time. The current schedule makes it look, sadly, like it might be England this time next year.

You are forgetting the upcoming series between Pakistan and India.

Unless of course you feel that the chances of it taking place - due to an assortment of reasons - are pretty slim?

 

[shankar]

it's surprising how often those games are thrillers

Is it really? When you have that kind of a wicket it's almost always a close match.

 

[Jono]

I have absolutely no problem with the Eden Gardens wicket. I really did despite Kanpur's though. Oh did I hate that wicket.

 

[hourn]

in general test wickets should provide a contest that gives both batsmen and bowler a chance.

A bit of grass on the deck, particularly in the areas in line with stumps, is always good. Wicket must always be flat. And typically a wicket will start to crack up and dry up on the last two days and combining that with the footmarks of bowlers will give plenty of turn.

In reality a good test wicket should provide about a wicket every 27-29 runs on average IMO.

 

[Deja moo]

I suggest Indian curators produce pitches in two halves.

You know, one end covered with grass and the other end shaved and rolled to encourage spin .

Would be odd to see the ball bouncing and seaming at one end , and turning square at the other.

Is it allowed?

 

[Richard]

No reason why it wouldn't be - but I imagine it would be just a little difficult to cultivate.
I fail to see how a justifiable law banning such a wicket could be passed.

 

[Richard]

You are forgetting the upcoming series between Pakistan and India.

Unless of course you feel that the chances of it taking place - due to an assortment of reasons - are pretty slim?

You see, I reckon he could be totally devestating for 3 or 4 series in a row.
Almost as devestating as it would be were the India-Pakistan tour not to take place.

 

[tooextracool]

i would much rather take a wicket that is fair for both teams throughout the game, instead of one where it is almost impossible to bat in the last innings and therefore unfair on the team batting last.

 

[telsor]

Is it really? When you have that kind of a wicket it's almost always a close match.

Yes, when a winning score is 100, it's hard to have a big margin isn't it...

Should I assume that scoring 80 while chasing 100 is a close, even, contest, while 240 chasing 300 isn't?

 

[Arjun]

Pretty soon, someone is going to pay, big-time. The current schedule makes it look, sadly, like it might be England this time next year.

Harmison and Flintoff will take care of that. Their new-found fear of raw pace did them in when they came to England- first Harmison and Flintoff, then Sami and Akhtar. Hoggard may be a flat-track target, and Anderson may not cause too many problems, but Jones, if he plays, can take a bagful of Indian wickets for not too many.

 

[Arjun]

I suggest Indian curators produce pitches in two halves.

You know, one end covered with grass and the other end shaved and rolled to encourage spin .

They might sit up and take notice, then pass a law, but a more appropriate option would be a flat pitch, with a V-shape of grass, and a few spots where the ball can bounce and turn, equally spaced.

 

[Richard]

Harmison and Flintoff will take care of that. Their new-found fear of raw pace did them in when they came to England- first Harmison and Flintoff, then Sami and Akhtar. Hoggard may be a flat-track target, and Anderson may not cause too many problems, but Jones, if he plays, can take a bagful of Indian wickets for not too many.

If Jones plays India and bowls like he's bowled for most of his Test-career, it'll be tricky for even the batting India've produced recently to do poorly against him.
Raw pace doesn't scare any good batsmen any more, Arjun, you should know that.