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[Saba Sports News] India and England are gearing up for a five-match Test series, starting this Thursday, January 25, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Amidst heightened anticipation, the spotlight is on the pitch quality, following widespread criticism of India’s home pitches for not being sufficiently competitive.
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull recently shared his views on this matter, drawing parallels between pitch conditions in New Zealand and India. He believes the criticism of Indian pitches is unjustified, emphasizing that he has no issues with India’s home game strategy as long as the pitches are properly prepared. According to Doull, even if pitches turn from the first day, they should not be underprepared or look substandard.
Doull also raised concerns about how India’s abrasive pitches might affect the scoring potential of newer Indian batsmen, like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, compared to the high averages of past greats like Tendulkar, Dravid, and Sehwag.
He pointed out that while Gill’s average dipped in India compared to his performance in Australia, Jaiswal is yet to debut in a Test match in India.Additionally, Doull commented on England’s ‘Bazball’ approach in India.
He enjoys the style but doubts its effectiveness over a five-Test series against India, stating that while it may work in a match or two, it’s unlikely to be sustainable throughout the entire series. Doull anticipates an exciting and entertaining series but is skeptical about England’s ability to maintain their aggressive strategy against India over five Tests.