Comments on: Why a run chase needs context and another reason why Tests are best

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 09:06:59 +0000

Absolutely nothing wrong with a turning pitch whatsoever. Slow turn is not much use though. You need a bit of pace and bounce to get the spinners properly excited.

It would be great to see some properly testing pitches in Test cricket so we can see a real test of wit and wills.

By: ElishaCook

ElishaCook — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:55:54 +0000

“Unfortunately, too many in Sri Lanka still are on either dead pitches or raging bunsens. ”
And what is wrong with a turning pitch?

By: Ged

Ged — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 06:38:35 +0000

No doubt in my mind that far fewer tests in India these days are on “700 plays 650” pitches. And long may that improvement continue.

Unfortunately, too many in Sri Lanka still are on either dead pitches or raging bunsens.

It is partly down to the subcontinental terrain, of course, which needs real coaxing into becoming good test wickets. Which means that too some extent it is down to money.

Money is relatively plentiful in the Indian game but not so much in the Sri Lankan game.

The ICC should play a part here, spreading some of the dosh around where it really matters – i.e. to enable all test nations to provide good product.

Sadly, the ICC as always is slow off the mark in protecting its crown jewels.

By: The Coder

The Coder — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:57:10 +0000

@Pat,
You are right. What most Englishmen don’t understand is that the audience for Test cricket has only grown. But more people follow the IPL and these are the new ones. So by comparison, it seems like Tests are taking a backseat which is far from the truth.

Also you’ll never see our traditional venues less than full(and most of the stadiums are 50K and above). This is where the Administrators have messed up a bit.Perhaps they want to bring Test cricket here(Hockey City) and grow it. Perhaps they’ll realise there are other ways.

Also, don’t blame the Indian cricket administrators over much, they’ve done their job so well, that some people here in India hate cricket for destroying other sports.

@SW.
Are you kidding me? You want us to watch people shoot at circles when Laxman is waving the wand? 😀

By: The Coder

The Coder — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:45:44 +0000

@Bobby,

Here is a list of the past 10 Test matches in India.

India Australia drawn Delhi Oct 29-Nov 2, 2008
India Australia India 172 runs Nagpur Nov 6-10, 2008
India England India 6 wickets Chennai Dec 11-15, 2008
India England drawn Mohali Dec 19-23, 2008 Test
India Sri Lanka drawn Ahmedabad Nov 16-20, 2009
India Sri Lanka India inns & 144 runs Kanpur Nov 24-27, 2009
India Sri Lanka India inns & 24 runs Mumbai (BS) Dec 2-6, 2009
India South Africa South Africa inns & 6 runs Nagpur Feb 6-9, 2010
India South Africa India inns & 57 runs Kolkata Feb 14-18, 2010
India Australia India 1 wicket Mohali Oct 1-5, 2010

70% results.

3 of the best test matches in recent history(Chennai, Eden Gardens & Mohali). A Steyn masterclass in Nagpur, Sehwag 293 in Brabourne, Sreesanth’s reverse(fifer) vs SL, Dravid 177 in the same match.

All this in the last 10 Tests(2 years).

I’m sorry if I sound condescending, but you DO need to look around sometimes. There is a world outside.

By: SW

SW — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:11:39 +0000

I thought everyone was just watching the Commonwealth Games…

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:47:03 +0000

I always thought that the best reason for tests was that it took 5 one day internationals to figure out who the best team were. The former is open and free, the latter is contrived and closed: bit like Charlie Parker against Kenny G.

I can’t believe I’ve just produced a jazz analogy…

nice.

PS: I think that the point about test cricket in india is that the cricket authorities are obsessed with mac-cricket and seem uninterested in the far more intriguing but less packageable product. If Coder is right, then Indians are not the suckers that the cricket authorities think that they are. And that’s good.

I expect we’ll have the tiresome ‘india v australia series is more important than the ashes’ debate in a bit. However, in case anyone is interest, the latter is actually more important.

By: Ged

Ged — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:26:27 +0000

Cracking match.

If they were able to make that exciting, just think how brilliant the 5 ODIs will be……

…..have I missed the point?

By: Bert

Bert — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:44:18 +0000

Test matches are indeed best, but as with all things, bestness comes with rarity. This test match was a real classic. If it was guaranteed that the next one would finish in the same way, it would be rubbish. Peaks are only peaks because they stand higher than the valleys.

The trouble with the other forms of cricket is that the administrators haven’t worked out yet that you kill excitement by guaranteeing it. Part of what makes test cricket such a great thing is that at the start of every match no-one knows whether it will turn out to be Edgbaston 2005 or Colombo 2010 (sort of).

And on the subject of pitches, well this last one was the perfect pitch, no? The very best pitches have to allow good batsmen to bat, while offering progressively more for the bowlers as the game goes on. Ideally each side should have the opportunity to post a score, and then be made to work hard at setting or chasing a target. At no point in this match did one side get an advantage from the state of the pitch.

By: Bobby K

Bobby K — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:01:08 +0000

@ The Coder

You obviously have Loo in your eyes.
The fact this test match turned out to be a cracker was more by luck than by design and had little to do with the Indian Cricket Administration and everything to do with the format of the game.

Look no further than the scandalously flat pitches on Sri Lanka’s recent tour of India. Look at the total number of series runs scored against a scandalously low number of wickets lost.

You clearly won’t accept this though so here are some stats; over the past 5 years 11 of 24 test matches in India have ended in bore draws. Compare this to England 11 in 35 (including some bloody exciting games saved), Australia, 2 in 27, Safrica, 3 in 29 & even Sri Lanka, 2 in 24.

I don’t think I need to say much more.