Team India will easily win the second Test match at Chennai, however, this match will be remembered for the poor pitch which raises several questions.
Fifteen wickets fell on Day 2 of the Test match, including 10 of England’s who were bowled out for 134 in reply to India’s 329.
Every team indeed takes advantage of their home conditions, but this does not mean that you can do anything. Numerous cricketers expressed their shock. Vaughan Tweeted: “It’s entertaining cricket as things are happening all the time but let’s be honest this pitch is a shocker…Not making any excuses as India have been better but this isn’t a Test Match 5-day prepared pitch.”
On the very first day, before lunch, it was unexpected to see this pitch behave berserkly. The pitch had too much spin as if it was the third day of the match. It is possible that the pitch was not properly watered or rolled. The clouds of dust would start flying as soon as the ball would hit the surface.
ICC might intervene and take an action. You may remember that in 2008, when India defeated South Africa, ICC banned the Green Park Stadium pitch in Kanpur for almost the same reason. If you take advantage of home conditions then it makes sense, but on the pitch on which it is difficult to score on the first day, such a wicket cannot be defended at all. The truth is that the pitch was not ready. If England had been forced to follow on, then the match would have ended in just three days.
India lost the toss in the first Test and the England team managed to score 600 runs on that pitch. No one would have expected a foreign team to score 600 plus runs in India in the very first match of the series. Joe Root hit a double century on that pitch. At the same time, Indian batting was exposed in the first innings, collapsing against swing and spin.
Such an argument makes no sense that England benefited from playing in Sri Lanka before the Indian tour, and that there were difficulties in these conditions for India to play in Australia. I must not agree.
Second Test has been good for India, and they are in the driver’s seat. Rohit Sharma’s combative innings and R. Ashwin’s brilliant performance with both ball and bat won everyone`s heart. Ashwin got enough confidence from scalping five wickets, and later he was able to play strokes freely, without any pressure, and hence showed his all-round abilities. Moreover, Kohli’s stint on the turning track was amazing, vital, and inexplicable.
Writer is a former fast bowler of Team India, and a cricket expert. Views expressed are writer’s personal.