IND vs SL 2022: Aakash Chopra Criticises Bengaluru Pitch

Mar 13, 2022 at 12:26 PM

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IND vs SL 2022: Aakash Chopra Criticises Bengaluru Pitch

Aakash Chopra has questioned the purpose of preparing a crumbling pitch for the ongoing second Test between Team India and Sri Lanka.

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch showed its colours right from the very first over of the 2nd Test match between India and Sri Lanka. As many as sixteen wickets fell on the first day, with Sri Lanka reduced to a score of 86/6 after they had bowled out Team India for 252 runs.

Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Aakash Chopra Questioned Purpose Of Preparing The Turning Bengaluru Pitch

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was extremely critical of the pitch.

He said: “Why do we need a pitch like this? In the first over itself, the soil flies. The match is not going anywhere if the soil is flying in the first over of the first day, it is not going to the fourth or the fifth day.”

The former India cricketer highlighted that such pitches have almost become the norm.

Aakash Chopra observed: “That’s exactly what has happened here. From the first ball of the first day itself, it was known that this match will be over in a jiffy. But why such a pitch and this is happening regularly.”

Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews [Image-Getty]
Aakash Chopra gave examples of recent Test matches that were played on similar pitches in India.

“Last time you played a pink-ball Test, the match was over in a jiffy. It was a crumbling pitch in the second Test in Chennai as well, the ball spun a lot. I remember the Pune match and the matches against South Africa in Nagpur and Mohali. If we are going to prepare such pitches on a regular basis, then that’s not a good thing.”

The raging turners on which Team India have played at home have contributed to the host batters’ struggles in recent times. The indifferent form of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara was accentuated by bowler-friendly pitches during the home Tests.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami took three and two wickets respectively while Axar Patel got one as Sri Lanka struggled throughout their first innings. Sri Lanka trail by 166 runs.  Angelo Mathews top-scored for Sri Lanka with an 85-ball 43 while all other visiting batters struggled to get going.

Aakash Chopra Feels Skill Is Important In Such Pitches

Aakash Chopra highlighted that bowlers should not get wickets just by firing the ball in.

He said: “There is no contest. Skills should be important, you should get wickets only if you are a good left-arm spinner. If we just hit the ball with speed on the pitch and it jumps or stays low, what’s the point.”

Shreyas Iyer scored 92 on Day 1 of 2nd Test vs Sri Lanka© BCCI
Shreyas Iyer scored 92 on Day 1 of 2nd Test vs Sri Lanka© BCCI

The 44-year-old concluded by saying that the Bengaluru pitch deserves as much criticism as the docile surface in the first Test between Pakistan and Australia.

Aakash Chopra elaborated: “We were saying the Rawalpindi pitch was a bad one, it was a road. I will say this pitch is also bad because the batter is dependent more on luck than skills. Of course, Shreyas Iyer has told us a different story.”

Shreyas Iyer was the only batter to breach the 50-run mark on the opening day of the Bengaluru Test. He was distinctly unlucky to fall short of his second Test century by just eight runs. The right-handed batter slammed 92 off just 98 balls on a Chinnaswamy pitch that had a lot of assistance from spinners. Previously, India won the first Test by an innings and 222 runs with Ravindra Jadeja coming up with his career-best performance.

India: 251 all out in 59.1 overs (Shreyas Iyer 91, Rishabh Pant 39, Hanuma Vihari 31; Lasith Embuldeniya 3/94, Praveen Jayawickrama 3/81, Dhananjaya de Silva 2/32) vs Sri Lanka 86 for 6 in 30 overs (Angelo Mathews 43; Jasprit Bumrah 3/15, Mohammed Shami 2/18).

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