The 3rd test match between India and England played in Motera Stadium, Ahemdabad, India recently got concluded. It resulted in India securing the game by 10 wickets.
Since the game was done within two days of time, a lot of eyebrows were raised on the same.
Through this article, we aim to provide you with an exclusive take on the same which is surely different than most opinions out there on the internet.
MOTERA STADIUM PITCH
The first and foremost thing about the Motera Stadium track is that it is a new one. It is not a conventional pitch.
Most matches take place on conventional tracks and that is where expert opinions come into play.
Experts base their analysis on their experience and conventional tracks.
Motera Stadium track is a completely new wicket thus it was hard for anyone to have predicted its outcome.
We are all in for unconventional tracks at least, we should be if we want good cricket to be played.
The more unpredictable this game gets the more fun it is for the players.
If we play on spin-friendly pitches for long, batting coaches will definitely find ways to counter that and score runs.
The pre-determined goal on these tracks is really simple – Do not offer a half defense, the defense should be a solid one.
We all know this as Indians have played on such tracks for since long.
To see a pitch and prepare on it is fair.
But to change it just because you are not able to find a solution to counter it is bad in the eyes of the sport.
HARSH TRUTH OF BOWLING IN CRICKET
The reason why so much buzz takes place around spin-friendly tracks has a reason to it.
We have always viewed pacers as the guardians of bowling. This is the very reason why there is so much indifference towards the spinners.
Spinners are bowlers too and that is something that should be taken into account.
Even opening with spin bowling is seen as unconventional, Why? If there are a field setting and plan, you can open with any bowler.
When you can leave and defend 50 balls off a pacer why can’t you do the same to a spinner?
Batsmen feel the need to attack spinners time and again, why? Because batting coaches have always believed that pacers are more dangerous and spin can be tackled by aggression.
When a pitch supports spin and suddenly you cannot attack spinners they feel like their coaching is not wrong, something must be wrong with the pitches. That is how the blame shifts.
Sports and life and mirror images of each other. You cannot run away from the wrong by shifting the blame to something else.
The pitches back in South Africa and Australia offer so much bounce and that is how their players have been built.
They have built their careers on such tracks. Similarly, the kind of soil we produce in our country, won’t offer such pace and bounce.
Therefore, we have always been devoid of such conditions.
Time and again India has struggled outside Asia but we have never seen Indians complaining about those tracks.
Even the new Indian team has gone on to beat teams in their own den outside the home.
THE CONCLUSION
The conclusion is very simple. Cricket is a funny game and consists of a lot of improvisation. There is no formula to it.
In Cricket there is no A+B = C. You cannot plan something and expect it to take execution without any drawbacks.
The game is all about those little adjustments.
You go to the stadium, you see the track, you pick the appropriate team for the game and do the needful.
Win or loss is part of the game, blaming pitches would be the last thing sportsmen should look for.
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