The controversy over the pitch in Ahmedabad has gone on ever since India won the Test match within 2 days. The pink ball test was expected to be under the control of the runners as has traditionally been the case. England had gone ahead and played three sailors in Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and James Anderson for the 3rd Test match against India at Narendra Modi Stadium. They only played one spinner in Jack Leach after sending Moeen Ali back to England.
This strategy went backwards when the pitch in Ahmedabad helped the spinners as Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Jack Leach and Joe Root did damage. The sailors were just mute spectators during the game as the spinners took control of what happened. India won the final Test within 2 days as they defeated England by 10 wikis to take an unavailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
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However, former England captain Michael Vaughan was not happy with the availability of the pitch in Ahmedabad. Vaughan said on Friday that the more India is allowed to “get away” by taking out pitches that are not considered good enough for test cricket, the more “no teeth ”observed by the ICC.
The match ended within two days with the pitch pulling a flak from former players like Vaughan, although the legend of bat Sunil Gavaskar gave credence to the Indian spinners rather than put the blame on the surface.
“It is in the longest running countries like India that they can get away with it, the more ICC looks,” Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
“The governing body allows India to do whatever it wants and it is test cricket that hurts,” he said while expressing his disapproval. pleasure with the BCCI.
Vaughan, who has led England from 2003 to 2008, felt that broadcasters who want a refund if a game ends too soon could help change things.
“It may force broadcasters to ask for a refund for things to change. They accept Test ends early because the players are not good enough but not when home boards take out such bad patches.
“They’re left with three vacant days but still have to pay for production. They won’t be happy and may think twice about good money for trial rights,” Vaughan said.
He described India as winning a “shallow victory” but acknowledged that the home side were better equipped to deal with the conditions.
“India won the third Test but it was a shallow victory. In fact, there were no winners from that game at all,” Vaughan began his column with those words.
He said, “However, India has shown their skill. We are not at all fair if we do not accept that their skill levels in these conditions are far better than those of England.
“But we have to look after the good of the game and as vice-players it’s our job to call it out.”
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Vaughan said the pitches in the last two tests have let the players down.
“We need to be fair and recognize that these players are fighting for their careers and over the last two weeks they have been let down by the landlords.
“How can anyone say that 250 in a Test match is a par first innings score and say that the pitch is good enough.
“Cricket is not a test of accepting that you have to have some luck as a bat to scratch in the first innings.”
“… If you have a World Test Championship you have to deduct points for making a surface that is not considered good enough for test cricket.
“But it is also a real concern for the game that we have seen India respond by going 1-0 down by taking out sensibly turning pitches from a ball. one and they know full well that they only last two or three days, “Vaughan said.
He also blamed England’s circulation policy and said they deserved to be in their current position.
“The contempt they showed by sending Jonny Bairstow home to walk his dogs for two weeks and then go back and bat at three against Ravi Ashwin has been bitten on the back.”
(with insertion of PTI)