The India pitch strategy was also questioned seriously after they lost to South Africa in Kolkata where a widening rift was emerging between what they were going to do and what they actually achieved on the field. Their silence, insistence on insisting on early turning surfaces, hereto supposed to neutralize the toss and give them home advantage, produced just the reverse at Eden Gardens. Rather than scaring the tourists off, the erratic bounce and extreme twist of the pitch made South Africa stronger and India to face awkward choices on whether the formula that has always served them well is still effective in the contemporary Test match.
Even the first session of the match testified to the unpredictable bounce of the ball, and to a turn sharp of which India upon her part, had expressly requested the curator to make use. This was admitted frankly by the head coach Gautam Gambhir, who stated that the management of the team wanted a surface that would spin right on day one to make the toss irrelevant. That was the formula that India has been relying on in recent years, particularly when it had featured high profile homes games. But this time the scheme failed.
The game did not give either team any batting security. No innings went above 200 and none scored a half-century with Temba Bavuma producing a test of perseverance 55 to become the player of the match as the South Africans made 124 and India never followed. Although conditions were exactly those that they asked, Indian batting lacked the discipline or the flexibility that Gambhir insisted the pitch required. Both teams had 12 batters passing 20 only one passed 40.
What was most confusing about the defeat of India was the fact that it had happened in very similar conditions to the same ones they had just lost in their homeland. India are now in a three match losing streak on surfaces now ready to become soft early first to New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai and now to South Africa.
They have also lost the toss in all the three matches and therefore they were batting fourth on pits which had become a mine field. Although Gambhir reiterated his point that early spin lowers the influence of the toss, the results of India are saying otherwise.
Decades ago, India have been of the opinion that sharp turn day one counters gain and degrades matches to skill. This perception can be traced to the time in 2012 when MS Dhoni requested pitches to rotation to prevent results which depend on the toss. The philosophy existed under various captains and coaches, and would reoccur whenever India have an opponent that they deem to be especially dangerous. South Africa, containing talented spinners such as Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, as well as an up-and-coming talent of Marco Jansen, indeed deserved that respect.
However, the issue nowadays is that visiting teams are much more ready than it was ten years ago. Australia tour 2023 displayed as much- veteran turners, batters toughened by a subcontinental visit and the understanding that the old Indian turners were no longer miraculous and breathtaking. England and New Zealand too came last year with a team that knew how to survive and live to exploit such a pitch. South Africa was not an exception. Maharaj and Harmer more particularly bowled with patience and precision such as men have learned on previous tours.
India can also be setting the playing field on level with its requirement of pitches that maximize spin, rather than tilt the field. And in so doing, they are possibly under rating their greatest potential asset, their own bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah is still the most dangerous quick in the world even on unfavorable surfaces. Wickets must be flat and not only when gripping, Kuldeep Yadav is lethal. Mohammed Siraj is able to seam, reverse and pound length indefinitely. Ravindra Jadeja, on his part, is one of the all-rounders in the game that is complete as far as spin is concerned.
Washington Sundar and Axar Patel also have their quality and control. On that onslaught, the weakening of the South African bowling attack, without Kagiso Rabada, and showing Wiaan Mulder with the new ball, ought to have been disagreeing on a more equal footing.
Rather, it is the inherent bowling advantage of India, which was eliminated by the early-turning track and dragged South Africa into the competition. It was leveling the advantage Indian superior depth and experience, and putting the visitors on the same level and in this game, once they got the momentum, they got it to the limit.
India has strong faith in the philosophy they have about pitch preparation, which is commendable as well. However, they start asking after Kolkata, Is this hard nosed plan really working with them? Or has the cricketing world at large finally become enlightened enough that now India should reconsider the concept of home advantage?
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