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New Zealand beware. If you had problems with the Aussie quicks in Brisbane it will get more grisly on the WACA’s nasty bounce and pace starting on Friday.
Over the years, much criticism has been levelled at India for preparing spinning tracts in their home Tests, especially in the recently concluded Mohali Test which lasted less than three days.
Visiting batsmen have found similar problems on the WACA in Perth. Whereas some Indian pitches have dust in abundance, Perth at times has gruesome greenery.
There are many instances of Perth ruining overseas batsmen’s reputations. But I have selected the November 1998 Ashes Test, which had many similarities and sharp contrasts with the recent Mohali Test between India and South Africa.
Both these Tests ended in two days and little over two sessions with no side reaching a total of 250. Spinners were rarely used in Perth 1998 and fast bowlers were almost redundant in Mohali last week.
In Perth 1998: England 112 and 191. Australia 240 and 3-64.
In Mohali 2015: India 201 and 200. South Africa 184 and 109.
England’s 19 wickets fell to Australia’s fast bowlers Damien Fleming, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath at Perth in 1998.
Also, Australia’s 19 wickets fell to England’s fast or medium pacers. Thus spinners would make only one dismissal in that Test.
South Africa’s 19 wickets toppled to India’s spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra in Mohali last week. And India lost 16 wickets to South African spinners.
It looks like the two Tests were mirror images of each other.
These are not isolated instances but they typify and highlight the contrasts.
So what’s the solution? Some experts seem to think that the Perth pitch is a natural bouncing pitch whereas Indian groundsmen deliberately make it spinner friendly by shaving the ground of any grass.
The solution according to me is simple. Just as we have neutral umpires why not have neutral ICC-accredited groundsmen who inspect pitches to ensure that there is no home ground advantage.
Variety is the spice of life and by all means we should have a variety characteristics in each ground. But leave doctoring to medical practitioners and not to groundsmen.