GarlicJam wrote:I don't know too much about the subject, but I am curious to see the rating of the pitch for this test
The pitch might have been saved by the state of the match, because I dont think even Pakistan would argue they had a chance of saving the draw after the new ball spell from Australia.... but the umpires could have been facing a very difficult decision had the score been 50-0 when the match actually ended.... because in the space between Mitchell Marsh coming out to bat for Australia and Pakistan being bowled out, the pitch was clearly deteriorating, and that had suddenly started to accelerate once Pakistan got to 50 odd in the 4th innings. By that stage, the conditions had become almost unplayable, you had one ball spitting up to throat height from Starc, and then at the other end Lyon got a wicket with a ball that rolled along the floor from the same length. Particularly at Lyon's end the bounce had become unfit for test cricket, I would argue. The stage at which someone is bowled having got the bat in line, but the ball bounces under the bat, is the time to start thinking about calling the test off.
We seen some in Australia's third innings, but not the same. Marsh got clobbered on the helmet, Khawaja got out (although overturned) on a shorter ball that hit his ankle... generally until the 4th innings though, it was the odd ball bouncing that was pitched shorter, so most of them flew past the batsman. Khawaja did try to pull one that he top edged.
Usually to be unfit/poor it has to be dangerous. Could argue the bounce was not as inconsistent or random as Kingston in the late 90s, or the Wanderers in 17-18, but the pitch also had a pace and carry in it more than usual, so you dont need a great deviation to make it more dangerous.