England speedster Jofra Archer has criticized the Chepauk pitch after his side won the first Test against India England won by 227 runs in the first Test as the final day’s pitch at the Chepauk produced vicious turn and bounce. Several balls also kept low which brought about in surface the uneven nature of the pitch. The second test will also be played at the same venue with the pitch curator promising to create a more fast and bouncy track compared to the first Test.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Jofra Archer spoke about the behavior of the Chennai pitch. He said the pitch deteriorated significantly and changed drastically in the course of the five days.
Also Read: Chepauk Pitch To Have More Pace, Bounce & Carry In Second Test
“I’d not played first-class cricket here (in India) before last week, but I know from experience of the IPL that most wickets in India deteriorate significantly, and seeing how the pitch changed during this Test shows us what we have in store,” Archer wrote in his column for Daily Mail.
Recalling his bowling experience on the flat deck, Archer said opined that the Chennai pitch became the worst surface he has seen on Day 5 of the 1st Test.
Worst Surface I Have Seen: Jofra Archer
“On the fifth day it was probably the worst surface I’ve seen — its orange colour, bits missing, rough patches for the bowlers to aim at,” he said.
The spinners picked up 24 wickets in total as compared to 16 by the pacers. The TNCA has promised of dishing out a better pitch with more bounce and carry which was not visible in the first game.
Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane all were beaten through the bat as the ball kept low in the way they were dismissed in the first Test.
The Chepauk will also welcome 50 percentage of the crowd capacity in the second Test post BCCI’s request to TNCA to welcome back fans to the stadiums.
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