Former cricketer Michael Kasprowicz expressed that he doesn’t believe in the hype around the pitches used during the ongoing 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy. He added that he doesn’t understand why there has been so much discussion over them. The nature of wickets during the test series has been subjected to a lot of criticism.
The pitches used for the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi were rated “average” by the International Cricket Council. However, the Indore pitch used for the third Test against Australia was rated “poor”. The spinners took 26 wickets in the match in just two and a half days. Speaking to The Age, Michael Kasprowicz expressed that moisture on the wicket must have helped the Australian bowlers in the first session. He said,
“I don’t believe the hype, I reckon because for all the attention around the pitches they were typically Indian wickets. I realize this last one in Indore did a few tricks early on, but because they’re starting so early (9.30 am), maybe that little bit of moisture helps grab the ball. But at other stages later in the day, it wasn’t doing anything like that.”
“When I say don’t believe the hype, I know the odd ball was turning square, and it got a poor rating, but I remember turning up to the Bangalore Test in 1998, and I’ve got a picture of me standing on the wicket. It honestly looks like a dry creek bed. There’s no grass, but it’s got these cracks and spider cracks all down the whole face of it,” he added.
And you just go well, like that’s what we’re gonna play on. And guess what? We’ve got to adapt and adjust. That’s the game of Test cricket,” said Kasprowicz.
Australia found a way, that’s what they have been known to do: Michael Kasprowicz
Former pacer Michael Kasprowicz further expressed that Australia found a way to tackle the conditions. They took a first-innings lead of 88 runs in the third Test, and eventually won the match by nine wickets. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten partnership helped them to chase down 75 runs comfortably. Kasprowicz said,
“Obviously, after the Delhi experience of that second inning, the Australians adapted to the conditions and did really well. And so come the second innings they were 1/76 and got through. Head and Marnus batted really well. They found a way, and that’s what Australia’s been known to do over all these years.”
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