GarlicJam wrote:I don't think so. I didn't see anything wrong with the pitch, or any balls radically misbehaving.
I saw some excellent bowling though - from both sides.
If this is a pitch that is worthy of complaint, then the game of test cricket is totally dead. For a 2020 Aussie wicket there looks to be a bit of bygone era bounce and carry in it, but aside from the bouncer Shami copped in the first innings that to me seemed to rise on him sharply (hes a number 11 batting to a top quality quick who had it on the money, so sometimes batsman can make those balls look deadlier through their lack of skill) the Indians cannot blame the pitch for this one. Looked a pretty good wicket to me actually, if Australia produce wickets like this again and again then Id be far happier than the lifeless rubbish they usually serve up in recent years.
Imo this was just absolutely top quality length control. The Indians were trapped wanting to play the bounce hanging a lot more on the back foot, the Aussies pitched it slightly fuller. Just perfect, top quality operation from the Aussie quicks. The Indians had no answer.
Only really Kohli of the top batsman got out to something that wasnt a traditional defence of the offstump, and that was rubbish. Ball was well too wide to be playing (although at that stage it was 6-15 or something ridiculous so I doubt he was going to hang around with Indias terrible late order). Not that it probably changed much, India were in a full rout and had probably lost the game already.
Although Kohli for me had some grounds to complain; I only got one replay of that catch from one angle on the highlights I watched, I was far from convinced it was a catch. Maybe the live footage had conclusive angles, but certainly on the evidence I seen Id be furious if I was given out on that.