Mumbai, Sep 30: Preparing turners at home was “the right thing to do” in the Rohit Sharma-era but it remains to be seen if the current team management including Test captain Shubman Gill would retain the tried and tested formula of playing on spin-friendly surfaces.
Heralding the transition era of the Indian Test team which began with a spectacular run in England over five Tests, the think tank will be pushed hard to come up with the right answer regarding the nature of pitches at home.
But the answer, however, may not be needed immediately as India begin their run of four home Tests with two matches against the struggling West Indies.The opening Test will begin on Thursday here at the world’s largest stadium and two days out of the match, the pitch sported green grass without much work being done on it through the course of the day.The second Test will be played in New Delhi from October 10-14.
It is an open secret that pitches in the past have been prepared according to the team’s style of play, with former captain Rohit often defending the tactic.
It perhaps was the right thing to do since the team enjoyed unprecedented success. India won 18 series at home over 12 years, until it all unravelled late last year against New Zealand.
India reverted to playing on rank turners in Pune and Mumbai for the second and third Tests of the series after losing to New Zealand on a green top wicket in the rain-hit opening Test at Bengaluru, a contest in which they were bowled out for 46 in the first essay.
But the age-old formula which had delivered many favourable results fell flat when India’s star batting line-up as well as the spin attack came up short, with New Zealand clinching a famous 3-0 triumph.
As India now enters a new phase under Shubman Gill’s leadership, the debate over what kind of pitches to roll out will once again come into sharp focus. The dominance built over years on spin-friendly surfaces cannot be ignored, yet the painful lessons from the New Zealand debacle still linger fresh in memory. (PTI)
