Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin criticized the Cuttack pitch during the first T20I between India and South Africa on Tuesday, December 9, pointing out its unpredictable bounce and calling it unsuitable for the shortest format. Batters struggled to find their rhythm at Barabati Stadium, with Hardik Pandya’s brilliant innings proving decisive in India’s dominant 101-run victory.
The pitch’s tricky nature was evident early, as both Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav fell in almost identical fashion. The challenges continued for India, with left-handers Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, and Tilak Varma also struggling, leaving the team at 104-5 after 14 overs. Hardik Pandya’s fifty on his comeback ensured India reached a total of 175.
South Africa Collapse to Lowest T20I Score As Ashwin Compares Cuttack Bounce To Perth
In response, South Africa faltered against both spin and pace from the start, ultimately collapsing to their lowest-ever T20I score. Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out that the extra bounce contributed to Shubman Gill’s early dismissal, likening it to the famous steep pitch at Perth.
“That is a very debatable aspect (on people saying India scored 15-20 below par). On this pitch, there were balls that were keeping low, and some balls that were kicking up. If you look at Shubman Gill’s wicket, the bounce with which he got out was 0.71 metres, it was like Perth. It was an uneven pitch. On these surfaces, T20 batting can be a nightmare,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He added that on such a pitch, South Africa stood little chance of posing a serious threat to a strong team like India.
“It was not a wicket where South Africa could have competed against India at all. They can compete against you in grounds like the Eden Gardens, Wankhede, or Bangalore. They can be a real nightmare for us in those grounds,” he added.
In South Africa’s previous two encounters with India at the venue, they had secured dominant victories. In the first of those games, the Proteas bowled out India for only 92 runs after choosing to field first.
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