West Indies cricket legend Clive Lloyd responded to the criticism regarding the pitches used in the Test series between India and South Africa. Clive Lloyd dismissed concerns about the pitch, highlighting Aiden Markram’s century in the second innings of the final Test.
The second Test match between India and South Africa became the shortest in history. The Test match concluded in the second session on Day 2 and lasted a total of 642 balls. The Rohit Sharma-led team secured a seven-wicket victory in this low-scoring encounter.
The Newlands pitch received an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Match referee Chris Broad assigned this rating after the series concluded. Notably, the first Test match of the series at Centurion also concluded within three days.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma strongly condemned the pitch conditions in Cape Town. He mentioned that he doesn’t mind such pitches as long as there is consistent treatment, especially when subcontinental pitches start offering turn from the first hour on day one.
Somebody Made A Hundred On That Same Pitch – Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd mentioned the potential criticism the ground staff might face if a similar situation occurred in India. Clive Lloyd argued that players in top-class cricket should possess the skills to handle various pitch conditions.
“I don’t think anything was wrong with the pitch. Somebody made a hundred on that same pitch, on a wearing pitch, so I think it’s just application. And I’m wondering if that had happened in India, with what they would have done to the ground persons,” Clive Lloyd told PTI.
“You know, because if you lose in a day and a bit, the first thing they’ll look at is the pitch. India had a turning pitch here the other day, and everybody said some terrible things about the pitch. If you’re playing top-class cricket, you should be able to handle those sorts of things,” he added.
The Proteas were dismissed for a mere 55 runs after opting to bat first. Aiden Markram scored a century in the second innings for South Africa, setting a 79-run target for the final innings of the match. The visitors successfully chased down the target in just 12 overs.
India To Face England Five Match Test Series At Home
The Indian team is poised to commence its home series in the ongoing WTC cycle against England. India will host the five-match series, with the first Test set to be played on January 25 in Hyderabad. The spotlight will be on the pitch preparation for the upcoming series.
On Friday, the BCCI unveiled a 16-member squad for the initial two Tests. The selectors included four spinners in the lineup, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. In the fast-bowling department, the squad comprises Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, and the uncapped Avesh Khan
India Squad for first 2 Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.
