The ongoing Test series between India and Australia has been excellent for spinners, as expected. The Indian conditions are always favourable for spinners, and both teams have taken advantage of this. While the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin has taken the majority of the wickets, Australian spinners have also taken some good wickets.
The pitch in Indore for the ongoing third match has been no exception, but it has come under intense scrutiny. Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden launched an attack during commentary, and former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar stated that Test cricket pitches should not be too lopsided in favour of the bowlers.
“The pitch makes all the difference if you want to watch good cricket. You must have wickets with even bounce so that both batters and bowlers get equal opportunity. If the ball turns from day one and first session itself and that too with uneven bounce, it makes a mockery of Test cricket,” Vengsarkar told PTI.
“It is important to get crowds back for Test cricket. You see that in England and Australia but unfortunately it is not happening in India. People will come back to Test cricket only if it is interesting. Nobody wants to see bowlers dominating the batters from the first session itself,” added the former India captain.
IND vs AUS 3rd Test
In the meantime, 13 wickets fell on Day 1 of the third Test between India and Australia at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Unlike the previous two Test matches in the series, hosts India struggled with the bat in the spinning conditions, while Australia fared much better and ended the day with a 47-run lead.
Virat Kohli‘s 22 off 52 balls was the highest score by a home batter in the innings, as India were all out for 109 runs in 33.2 overs. Matthew Kuhnemann, who made his Test debut in the second match, took five wickets, while Nathan Lyon took three. Spinner Todd Murphy also took one, with a run-out accounting for India’s final wicket.
