It is now disputed that the Lucknow pitch for the 2nd T20I against New Zealand was several times worse than the Chennai-Chepauk pitch. Actually the pitch maker had prepared two other pitches before this pitch. However, due to a last-minute ‘request’ from the team management, the pitch on which the match was played has been prepared.
Having failed in the first T20 match, the Indian team management has made a desperate attempt to win the second match and level the series. The Indian team management asked to change the pitch. But the curator who made the pitch has now been suspended. Who will hurt the arrow? Even worse than this, Indian team captain Hardik Pandya said ‘this pitch is a shocker’ as if he didn’t know anything.
It means that the pitch maker has prepared two black clay pitches a few days before. But a leading English newspaper has said that the Indian team management put pressure on him that he didn’t want that and wanted a different pitch and they prepared a new pitch. That pitch was not set properly. It was a pit pitch. This is usually done by the Indian team management.
After losing the Chennai Test against England, we watched the Virat Kohli-Ravisashtri combination win the next 3 Test pitches as a pit pitch. Let’s celebrate that victory and be happy!!
When asked, they talk bad about the spin pitch, we have also seen a respected international cricketer like Ashwin talking as if they don’t know the details. All this is a matter for a board like Bangladesh. What about the world’s richest cricket board taking pride in producing a lousy pitch and winning? Let’s say that proper spin pitch is different. Pit pitch is different.
Gautham Gambhir also criticized the pitch. “There was grass in the center of the pitch. But, there is nothing at both ends. That means the soil was loose and caused the balls to bounce back. A very poor pitch,” he criticized.
Now the old pitch maker has been sent home and a new pitch maker has been appointed, according to English media reports.
In this case, the New Zealand team is worried about how the Ahmedabad pitch, where the 3rd T20 match will be held, is going to be. BCCI should take into consideration the criticisms of other teams about our pitch and really put good pitch and show real cricket performance and make Indian team win truly. Otherwise, as the current batsmen do not have spin, there is a high chance that the Indian team will lose the upcoming Test matches against Australia. Krishnamachari Srikanth has already sounded this warning, beware Nathan Lion! The gist of the warning from the likes of Srikanth is don’t pitch the hole.
