Veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has lashed out against the persistent use of rank turners by India at home. At an event, the star off-spinner, with over 700 international wickets to his name, was critical about using doctored wickets for home test matches. Singh also had a suggestion for the Virat Kohli – Anil Kumble duo, to not rely solely on rank turners for tests at home.
The last time India played a series at home, it was marred by complete controversy as the pitches used against South Africa were termed disgraceful. The third test at Nagpur saw the wicket crumbling right from the very first day and batting was an activity just too difficult on a wicket of such dismal quality. Several sections of the cricketing fraternity pointed out that the use of doctored wickets would just be a short term solution.
“Over past four-five years, the previous team management’s preferred pitches where Test matches would end inside three days. But I believe both Anil bhai and Virat are positive people, who would like play on good Test pitches, where the results are decided on fourth evening or by fifth day post lunch session,” said Harbhajan in his interaction.
“We should look at the bigger picture. Are we gaining anything by winning inside two and half to three days? Are we also being fair to our batsmen who struggled against South African spinners during last home series?”.”Why do we call it Test cricket? Because it tests your skill from Day 1 to Day 5 at every level. It should give everyone a fair chance to succeed at that level,” Singh further added.
The star spinner urged the BCCI to prepare sporting wickets for the series against New Zealand. “But if we can produce sporting pitch where our batsmen can score 400 runs if batting first, New Zealand can’t beat us. Man to man, we are a better unit. Even if we prepare sporting tracks, we can win 3-0,” he said. “Fine you can get wickets but there are times when the bowler doesn’t even know that where the ball will land and which direction it goes. You don’t know which one would turn and which one would jump. That’s why I am stressing on good pitches where skill comes into play,” Singh mentioned about the effect of rank turners on spinners.
The offie also backed pacer Ishant Sharma, after the lanky seamer was criticized for his poor statistics. “People criticise Ishant for having played nearly 70 Test matches with barely 200 plus wickets. But has anyone cared to find out how many overs Ishant had bowled in India? And how many overs with new ball and how many with old one which reverses?”And why Ishant has not bowled much is because of having such wickets where you need spin in first hour. If he doesn’t get to bowl with the new ball when the seam is hard and new, then we are being unfair to Ishant, who is such a workhorse,” he said.