Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath believes ‘drop-in’ pitches can provide a solution. India’s shocking capitulation in England has brought the preparation of wickets in the country under scrutiny.
Unless pitches with good, consistent bounce are made in domestic cricket, changing the players and the coaches might not help matters away from the sub-continent. Flat tracks and rank turners have, over a period of time, done immense harm to Indian cricket. The Indian batsmen, lacking footwork and judgment in the corridor, were found out technically in England.
Srinath said to The Hindu on Thursday, “It is hard to recreate the conditions such as those in England in India. There the pitches retain moisture and the sun does not beat down hard. Apart from a few centres in North India during the winter, pitches become dry very quickly here.”
And the nature of clay used here might not be conducive to the Indian pitches. “Drop-in pitches, such as the ones employed in Australia or New Zealand, are used for a match and then taken away till the next time they are needed. Generally, these pitches have more bounce and do more off the seam. They could help in India.”
“We can make sporting tracks for domestic cricket. But so many wickets are tampered with in the Ranji Trophy. And the BCCI has no control over those who do the tampering because it is essentially a vote-driven body. Associations that have committed gross violations over the last two years have walked away scot-free,” a BCCI curator, who did not want to be named for obvious reasons, told this newspaper.
All curators, including those from the BCCI, were often put under tremendous pressure from the local associations, he said.
“The Board, two years ago, issued guidelines which made it mandatory for some grass to be left on the wicket. The surface had to have moisture on day one and assist the pacemen, become good for batting over the next two days and then provide purchase to the spinners. But we are not allowed to do so by the host association which wants the surface to suit its strength.”
He revealed, “For one of the matches, I had left five millimetres of grass and one of the captains, a senior Indian cricketer, wanted it removed. ‘What would the cricketers do with so much grass on the first three days if the pitch offered turn only on the fourth day,’ he asked. That is the mind-set.”
Former India captain Ajit Wadekar — his side achieved a historic Test series triumph in England in 1971 — said, “Yes, wickets at home are important. But I feel how you prepare for a series in England or in Australia is equally crucial. For instance, when we won in 1971, we spent around 50 days in England before the first Test and played 10 county games to get familiar with the conditions. Now, there are hardly one or two tour games.”
Indeed, these are days when the schedules are cramped. Playing county cricket in England helped the previous generation of Indian cricketers become more complete players but there is hardly any off-season these days. Even the small window after the IPL is lost since the cricketers are too exhausted.
In fact, several Board coaches feel the lure of T20 cricket is adversely impacting the thinking of young Indian cricketers. “Yes, the pitches are an issue. But many of the present-day youngsters are not keen to play four-day matches on any kind of wicket. Their focus is on T20 cricket and big money. Their basics, consequently, are not strong” said the selector of a major Indian side.
Former India batsman Chandu Borde, known for his footwork and back-foot play, said, “After the Lord’s Test, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root stood outside the crease to neutralise Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing. The Indians did not come up with any such solution. Irrespective of the nature of the pitch you are brought up on, the challenge before you as a batsman, is to adapt to the conditions and counter the different challenges posed by each bowler. That is why you play Test cricket for your country.”
