Multiple Australian selectors and cricket commentators have erupted in a loud uproar over the apparent attempt by Indian pitch curators to try and “manipulate” the playing field of the opening Nagpur Test. The Australians have begun to voice serious reservations about the Indian pitches not being particularly impartial to players even before the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 officially begins. Additionally, it has been noted that the hosts’ surface advantage over their rivals is significant.
The images of the surface have gone viral in the run-up to the Nagpur Test, which has undoubtedly infuriated the Australian cricket experts. It is obvious that the area outside left-off-stump handers has been left dry and unwatered. Additionally, there hasn’t been any rolling done on the decent length portion of the pitch; only the centre.
Interesting treatment of the pitch in Nagpur. The groundstaff watered the entire centre of the surface & only the length areas outside the left-hander’s leg stump & then rolled only the centre, stopping short every time they got to the good length areas at both ends #IndvAus pic.twitter.com/Myr2ZblqCg
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 7, 2023
“It’s a multi-toned pitch. The classic saying about pitches is, ‘Oh, it’s the same for everyone”, senior cricket expert Robert Craddock said on SEN WA Breakfast. Craddock went on to blatantly accuse the Nagpur pitch curators of trying to indulge in malicious means and provide an unfair advantage to the Indian side.
“When the Gabba pitch had too much grass left on it, people were saying, ‘Yes, it was not a great wicket, but it was the same everyone. But you can’t say that about this pitch, Australia has six left-handers in their top eight, so if you start multi-preparing parts of the deck that’s straight-up pitch doctoring, it’s poor,” he said. Many former Australian cricketers have also resonated with Craddock’s opinions.
Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie told SEN WA Breakfast, “I think the Indian curators are looking at a way for India to have an advantage. They potentially think spin will play a huge role and that the best chance to beat Australia will be to play to their strength.”
Simon O’Donnell, a former cricketer and current authority on Australia pleaded for the ICC to step in right away and make sure all wickets are prepared impartially and without favoritism. The ICC doesn’t feel the need to say anything about India in such things, Donnell asserted in a subtle jab at the Indian curators. “If they think the pitch is not right, there’ll be an ICC referee at the game and the ICC will be watching this game. But there’s so many when it comes to India, we have all of these discussions, and nothing seems to happen,” he said.
With the exception of full-length patches outside the off stump of a left-handed batter at each end, the dry strip in the centre square of the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium has been watered. Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Travis Head, Matthew Renshaw, and Alex Carey are the other five left-handed bats in Australia’s probable top seven.