Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on Team India’s home pitches.
He clearly says, “Enough with this game of producing rank-turners. Play on good cricket pitches so that bowlers can develop and Test cricket can survive.”
Bhajji is furious about the pitch that ended the match in three days in the Kolkata Test against South Africa.
Bhajji said, “A real bowler is made on a good pitch.”
Harbhajan said bluntly, “The kind of pitches we have been playing on, there is no requirement of making a bowler out of anyone because every delivery spins or some straightens. A bowler can only be considered good when he takes wickets on good pitches.”
He further said, “We should play on good cricket pitches—it is high time. It has been more than a decade since we played on pitches where there hasn’t been overall growth of (Indian) cricket. If you look at it, we are stuck at that one place, and when we play on good wickets, it becomes a case of being required to look into the mirror.”
If you want to save Test cricket, give us good pitches – Bhajji
Bhajji cited the example of the England series, saying there was a good contest between bat and ball there.
He said, “We did well in England. When we go out of India, our batters get the opportunity to score runs. (But) if you don’t give your batters a chance, then how will it be possible for them to win matches (at home)? It is high time India start playing on good tracks.”
Finally, Bhajji raised the biggest question: We talk about saving Test cricket, but if we continue like this, how will it work?
His full statement was, “We keep talking about saving and promoting Test cricket, but this is not the way to save Test cricket. If you want to save Test cricket, then we need to start playing on good tracks, which allow your bowlers, batters, and everyone to be in the game.”
Now it remains to be seen how seriously the BCCI and pitch curators take Bhajji’s statement. Only time will tell whether the pitches will change in upcoming home Tests or the same old game will continue.
