Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

sussexpob wrote:I think personally inthe last few years its quite clear that pitches have become more condusive to bowlers, but I think this idea that its "dustbowls" in Asia is so far wide of the mark, its untrue. The BD series was played on a pitch that turned, but it was hardly like it was raging bunsen territory. I have seen late 90's Sydney pitches that grip and ripped consistently more than Indian and BD pitches ive seen recently. Ive seen Asian pitches break up far more.

I think the main difference is there was a clear move in the last 3 odd years to produce more bowling friendly wickets. Test players who grew up in FC cricket pancake pitches arrive on them, and literally dont know what to do.

Even English pitches that swing in recent years havent been as noteworthy as some might expect. The TB test that Australia were destroyed in was just a pitch that did something. It was hardly a raging seamer with bounce all over the place. But growing up on flat pitches, no batsman had the technique to play it.

I contrast that to a pitch in the early 2000's at Headingley, when Ganguly/Dravid and Tendulkar must have scored 600 runs on a grassy, bouncy, seaming and swining fast bowler paradise. All there were very good technical players though, they could do well in those conditions. The modern day India team may have lasted 10 overs.

Adi wrote:

sussexpob wrote:I think personally inthe last few years its quite clear that pitches have become more condusive to bowlers, but I think this idea that its "dustbowls" in Asia is so far wide of the mark, its untrue. The BD series was played on a pitch that turned, but it was hardly like it was raging bunsen territory. I have seen late 90's Sydney pitches that grip and ripped consistently more than Indian and BD pitches ive seen recently. Ive seen Asian pitches break up far more.

I think the main difference is there was a clear move in the last 3 odd years to produce more bowling friendly wickets. Test players who grew up in FC cricket pancake pitches arrive on them, and literally dont know what to do.

Even English pitches that swing in recent years havent been as noteworthy as some might expect. The TB test that Australia were destroyed in was just a pitch that did something. It was hardly a raging seamer with bounce all over the place. But growing up on flat pitches, no batsman had the technique to play it.

I contrast that to a pitch in the early 2000's at Headingley, when Ganguly/Dravid and Tendulkar must have scored 600 runs on a grassy, bouncy, seaming and swining fast bowler paradise. All there were very good technical players though, they could do well in those conditions. The modern day India team may have lasted 10 overs.

I am struggling to find any player in modern cricket who is technically as good as Rahul or Sachin. Saurav was not technically good, having severe weakness against short pitched stuff. His technique against short pitch bowling was below par.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Funny. I remember that Leeds pitch as a road, and the very hot weather, and blue sky, allowing for no swing. Maybe the pitch was tough, and I misremember, but there definitely wasn't any help overhead.

England can usually rely on Headingley for home comforts. So it was a nasty shock that this year the old girl turned against them, embracing instead India - out-of-form, contract-disputing India. It was they who were invited to Geoffrey Boycott's pre-match curry buffet and it was they who breathed in the dank Leeds air, looked up at the furious age-old leaden skies, mastered the demons in the pitch, and served up a win by an innings

India batted with great discipline throughout the first day of the third npower Test at Headingley, accepting the challenge presented to them by their captain, Sourav Ganguly. It was a brave decision to bat first on an overcast morning and on a pitch with a tinge of green to encourage the seam bowlers, but it was only Virender Sehwag who succumbed in a tense, hard-fought morning session. Rahul Dravid's century and Sanjay Bangar's contribution meant that India were in the guinea seats at stumps.

In such conditions there was the traditional movement for the bowlers, leaving Sehwag and Bangar to perhaps question the wisdom of batting first.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Fair enough. Headingley was a decent batting pitch around that time, and a lot of runs were scored in the late nineties and noughties, so that stuff in the article about Headingley pitches was out of date by 2002. Maybe the heatwave was the next year when Gary Kirsten batted for eight hours for 130 and Monde Zondeki three hours for a fifty.

bhaveshgor wrote:Suspect in years to come ashwin vs stokes would be a khan vs botham all round battle especially with India vs England to play 5 test series every 2 years.
Wonder if both players will keep an eye on other person all round performance like the quartet did in the 80s.
You don't often get 2 quality all rounder at the same time.

bhaveshgor wrote: Sussex or the other better technical analyst can comment on it but don't think he capable of scoring big runs or create problems with the ball now especially in test when people can sit on players and wait for the bad balls.