Lifeless Pitches...

I have been thinking of writing this blog for a long time now but never got the time. So if you have watched the test series between India and Pakistan there was one glaring malady which pervaded itself throughout the series. The quality of the pitches. To say that it was appalling would be an understatement. I have always been a great fan of test match cricket but the matches were off putting even for a fanatic like me. To see a side struggling to castle 10 wickets in over 3 days is really depressing. A sporting wicket is one which provides ample opportunities for both the batsmen and bowlers.In this series it seemed as if the breed of bowlers never existed. What can one expect a bowler to do when there is no bounce, pace, spin, swing etc..
The pitches in the subcontinent have never been conducive to the faster bowlers but what can one call a pitch in which even Anil Kumble is struggling. Kumble has been very successful in subcontinent but to see him struggling is really depressing.The fact that the matches were boring was best exemplified by the attendance in the grounds. India is reputed to have a great cricket following and test matches do arouse considerable interest. But to see empty stands and people sleeping in the grounds was baffling.
So what have India done themselves by preparing such sub standard pitches.They are shooting themselves in their own leg. India are heading to Australia next and they will be greeted with pitches that offer the faster bowlers a lot pace and bounce. As i am writing this blog i get to know that India's only practice match in Australia has been rained off with only 48 overs of play being possible. The schedule being cramped and the only practice game being rendered ineffective the signs are looking ominous.Indians need to play out of their skins to halt the Aussie juggernaut. It will be a stern test for the newcomers and it will be interesting to see how they cope up with the challenge.
Irrespective of the team's performance down under,preparing better pitches remains the need of the hour and the lets hope that the numerous committees appointed by the BCCI do their job and make test matches as exhilarating as they are supposed to be.