Despite a 336-run win over England in the second Test at Edgbaston, Indian captain Shubman Gill expressed his concern about the pitch quality and the Dukes balls used in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He said the pitches offer ‘nothing’ for bowlers after the new ball’s initial period, making the game too defensive and changing what Test cricket is about.
Runs have been easy to score in this series. In the first match at Headingley, all four innings went over 350. In the second match, India scored over a thousand runs in their two innings. Besides the flat pitches, the Duke’s ball which has been used in the UK for many years is getting soft too quickly, sometimes within the first 15 to 20 overs of an innings. Throughout the series, India has been complaining to the umpires about this and they usually just return the ball as they are only allowed to change it if it’s badly out of shape.
“It’s very hard for the bowlers, Gill said at the post-match press conference, according to PTI. “I think the problem is more with the ball than the pitch. It loses its shape and gets soft very fast. I’m not sure if it’s the wickets or something else. It’s hard for the bowlers, especially when there’s nothing to work with, he said.
“When the team knows it’s tough to get wickets and the conditions are difficult, many things feel out of your control. Bowlers need some help. If the ball does something, you can make a plan and it’s more fun to play. But if you know that only the first 20 overs will have any action and after that you’re just trying to stop runs, it takes away from what makes the game great, Gill added.
Gill has benefited from the easy-scoring tracks, being the top scorer with 585 runs at an average of 146.25. He called the pitches ‘friendly’ and ‘like those in India’.
“Yes, they are like the friendly wickets we play on in India. It’s nice to come here and get good pitches for a change (laughs).
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The captain expects England to provide a more bowler-friendly wicket at Lord’s on Thursday, July 10.“We will see what’s the wicket like. I don’t think they will make it so flat. That’s what I think. We will go there and then decide and see what’s the wicket like to decide the team.”
