***Official*** Australia in India 2017

[stephen]

I for one am still on a high from this game.

 

[Arachnodouche]

With all due credit to Australia, the pitch was an embarrassment from the perspective of pure aesthetic. Test cricket has a rhythm and flow to it, and if the curators/team management can't ensure that poetry, and even go out of their way to jeopardize it - metal scuffs, dehydration, etc - then they aren't doing their job and should be righteously pulled over the coals for it. We've come to accept things like spinners opening bowling in India as de rigueur out of some misguided sense of jingoism: "if they can do it, why can't we?". It's not about Us vs Them, it's about trying to preserve at least some modicum of the romantic appeal of Test cricket in a fast food world.

 

[cnerd123]

With all due credit to Australia, the pitch was an embarrassment from the perspective of pure aesthetic. Test cricket has a rhythm and flow to it, and if the curators/team management can't ensure that poetry, and even go out of their way to jeopardize it - metal scuffs, dehydration, etc - then they aren't doing their job and should be righteously pulled over the coals for it. We've come to accept things like spinners opening bowling in India as de rigueur out of some misguided sense of jingoism: "if they can do it, why can't we?". It's not about Us vs Them, it's about trying to preserve at least some modicum of the romantic appeal of Test cricket in a fast food world.

Actually its about winning matches and making money.

 

[GotSpin]

With all due credit to Australia, the pitch was an embarrassment from the perspective of pure aesthetic. Test cricket has a rhythm and flow to it, and if the curators/team management can't ensure that poetry, and even go out of their way to jeopardize it - metal scuffs, dehydration, etc - then they aren't doing their job and should be righteously pulled over the coals for it. We've come to accept things like spinners opening bowling in India as de rigueur out of some misguided sense of jingoism: "if they can do it, why can't we?". It's not about Us vs Them, it's about trying to preserve at least some modicum of the romantic appeal of Test cricket in a fast food world.

I didn't get any of that

 

[Arachnodouche]

Actually its about winning matches and making money.

Let me dream, buddy.

I'm just saying nobody does it as shamelessly as India. The BCCI's clout has given pitch doctoring a sort of post-colonial "chickens come home to roost" spin, and Indian fans all too gullibly buy into it.

 

[honestbharani]

And what exactly is not romantic about a spinner preying on a hapless batting line up with men close in and the batsman sweating bullets worried where his next run will come from? Its as much a part of the romantic appeal of test cricket, AFAIC, as any other aspect. Just because this time an opposition spinner did it to us does not mean it suddenly becomes bad. I defended the ICC rating of the pitch during the RSA series and this pitch was actually quite a lot better than that one. I think it just takes away what was an excellent performance from folks like Renshaw, Smith, Starc, Haze, Lyon and of course, the Steven Shane Warne hates more than Waugh. Its just silly.

 

[Arachnodouche]

And what exactly is not romantic about a spinner preying on a hapless batting line up with men close in and the batsman sweating bullets worried where his next run will come from? Its as much a part of the romantic appeal of test cricket, AFAIC, as any other aspect. Just because this time an opposition spinner did it to us does not mean it suddenly becomes bad. I defended the ICC rating of the pitch during the RSA series and this pitch was actually quite a lot better than that one. I think it just takes away what was an excellent performance from folks like Renshaw, Smith, Starc, Haze, Lyon and of course, the Steven Shane Warne hates more than Waugh. Its just silly.

Late Day 3 onwards, by all means. Not from the first day, not for someone like Jadeja who hardly puts any action on the ball to have it rearing chest high from a length. That's a lottery.

 

[anil1405]

Have to agree with hb here. By saying that the standard of the pitch was poor, due credit isn't being given to Renshaw, Smith and Starc who adapted well to score quality runs.

 

[Victor Ian]

You could say Australia shamelessly serves up made to order pitches when they let tours start in Brisbane or Perth. Sure, it's the same thing every year, but that is because it is the most difficult thing for everyone not from Australia. Maybe.

I say, 'Good on India'. Give us another one!

 

[anil1405]

"On the first two days, the pitch should be good for batting and help medium-pacers. On days two and three there should be slow turn. Then on the last two days there should be more turn. I have told Sriram to prepare that kind of wicket," Rao said "At least, that is our intention."

'We don't want a two-day Test' - KSCA secretary | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Spark]

You could say Australia shamelessly serves up made to order pitches when they let tours start in Brisbane or Perth. Sure, it's the same thing every year, but that is because it is the most difficult thing for everyone not from Australia. Maybe.

I say, 'Good on India'. Give us another one!

Your argument is kind of undermined here by who we decided to play at Perth...

 

[Victor Ian]

Your argument is kind of undermined here by who we decided to play at Perth...

ok - everyone but them.

 

[Daemon]

"On the first two days, the pitch should be good for batting and help medium-pacers. On days two and three there should be slow turn. Then on the last two days there should be more turn. I have told Sriram to prepare that kind of wicket," Rao said "At least, that is our intention."

'We don't want a two-day Test' - KSCA secretary | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Aka lets **** over the side batting second

 

[social]

Irrespective of the result, performances and how enjoyable the cricket was (whilst it lasted), IMO that was a poor pitch as:

a. the ball was taking chunks out of the pitch in the first session;

b. From early on, it was obvious that the match was only going to last a few days: and

c. It was significantly different from your average Pune pitch

 

[OverratedSanity]

Just the usual anti spin bias. As long as the pitch isn't physically harmful and the toss doesn't impact the outcome too much, and the cricket is enjoyable, the pitch is fine and everyone should stop whining. It would've easily lasted 4 days if India hadn't batted like spuds.

 

[OverratedSanity]

c. It was significantly different from your average Pune pitch

Even if this was true, why is this relevant?

 

[Debris]

You could say Australia shamelessly serves up made to order pitches when they let tours start in Brisbane or Perth. Sure, it's the same thing every year, but that is because it is the most difficult thing for everyone not from Australia. Maybe.

I say, 'Good on India'. Give us another one!

Last Indian tour started in Adelaide and they did not play in Perth at all which kind of crushes that theory.

 

[honestbharani]

"On the first two days, the pitch should be good for batting and help medium-pacers. On days two and three there should be slow turn. Then on the last two days there should be more turn. I have told Sriram to prepare that kind of wicket," Rao said "At least, that is our intention."

'We don't want a two-day Test' - KSCA secretary | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Aka lets **** over the side batting second

\

Nah.. the kind of ideal pitch this guy has in his mind is never replicated in reality. Now watch as we get a road like Chennai or Rajkot. Or maybe just **** the side batting first with some grass on the wicket which just dries out meaning it will become a win toss, win match pitch.

 

[TheJediBrah]

You could say Australia shamelessly serves up made to order pitches when they let tours start in Brisbane or Perth. Sure, it's the same thing every year, but that is because it is the most difficult thing for everyone not from Australia. Maybe.

I say, 'Good on India'. Give us another one!

You could say that, but you'd be very wrong

Irrespective of the result, performances and how enjoyable the cricket was (whilst it lasted), IMO that was a poor pitch as:

a. the ball was taking chunks out of the pitch in the first session;

b. From early on, it was obvious that the match was only going to last a few days: and

c. It was significantly different from your average Pune pitch

This is the key. I'm not agreeing that the pitch was poor, as I said before, the pitch made for some interesting cricket and as long as every pitch isn't like this, I don't necessarily have an issue with it.

But it's the key with regards to "pitch doctoring" or "made to order pitches". If a side infamous for struggling on turning pitches come and you just so happen to serve up a raging turner that is far drier/favourable to spin early on than the average pitch there, that's "made to order pitches".

Starting a summer off in Brisbane because it's been done that way for 25 years, for every team that tours, and on a Brisbane pitch that doesn't differ at all from a normal Brisbane pitch, certainly not varying depending on who tours, is obviously not "made to order".

Somewhat relevant side note: when India toured in 2014 their first Test was on a very slow Adelaide wicket, not Brisbane.

In summary, not your best work Victor Ian

 

[Spark]

You could say that, but you'd be very wrong



This is the key. I'm not agreeing that the pitch was poor, as I said before, the pitch made for some interesting cricket and as long as every pitch isn't like this, I don't necessarily have an issue with it.

But it's the key with regards to "pitch doctoring" or "made to order pitches". If a side infamous for struggling on turning pitches come and you just so happen to serve up a raging turner that is far drier/favourable to spin early on than the average pitch there, that's "made to order pitches".

Starting a summer off in Brisbane because it's been done that way for 25 years, for every team that tours, and on a Brisbane pitch that doesn't differ at all from a normal Brisbane pitch, certainly not varying depending on who tours, is obviously not "made to order".

Somewhat relevant side note: when India toured in 2014 their first Test was on a very slow Adelaide wicket, not Brisbane.

In summary, not your best work Victor Ian

They only started at Adelaide because the Brisbane test was moved.