‘Not sure if that’s good for Test cricket’: Former cricketers slam Motera pitch

After India’s crushing 10-wicket win against England in the third Test in Ahmedabad, which saw the contest get wrapped inside two days, several former cricketers were highly critical of the pitch. Many, including India’s 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, felt it was not an ideal track for a Test match.

The former Indian cricketer took to Twitter to express his disappointment and claimed that spin legends like Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble would have scalped over 800 wickets if such tracks were available during his playing days. “Finished in 2 days Not sure if that’s good for test cricket !If @anilkumble1074 and @harbhajan_singh bowled on these kind of wickets they would be sitting on a thousand and 800?” Yuvraj tweeted on Thursday. 

finished in 2 days Not sure if that’s good for test cricket !If @anilkumble1074 and @harbhajan_singh bowled on these kind of wickets they would be sitting on a thousand and 800 ?However congratulations to  @akshar2026 what a spell! congratulations @ashwinravi99 @ImIshant 

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) February 25, 2021

Yuvraj’s former teammate, Irfan Pathan also was left disappointed with the track and said it was not the kind of pitch a cricket enthusiast would look forward to. “2 days for a test match to finish. Not the kind of pitch that cricket lovers would want but team India still dominated the the pitch and Englishmen better,” Pathan wrote on Twitter. 

2 days for a test match to finish. Not the kind of pitch that cricket lovers would want but team India still dominated the the pitch and Englishmen better ! #INDvsENG

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 25, 2021

Meanwhile, a report in PTI quoted VVS Laxman and Harbhajan also echoing similar opinion. “It was not an ideal pitch for a Test match and even India collapsed in their first innings,” former India batting stalwart Laxman said.

Harbhajan, one of the four members of the Indian 400 Test wicket club, also felt the same. “It is not an ideal pitch. India would also have been in trouble if England had scored 200 in their first innings. But it (the pitch) is the same for both sides,” said the 40-year-old off-spinner. 

After this win India have now gained an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel had a match-haul of 11 for 70 while senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took seven wickets to reach milestone 400 wickets.  

– with inputs from PTI