Regarding the Melbourne pitch used for the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa expressed his opinion that it was not impossible to bat on. Last week, England won the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) by a slim margin of four wickets in just two days.
Speaking out on the pitch controversy, Uthappa believed that neither English nor Australian batters had the necessary application to be successful in such conditions. The MCG surface has always aided bowlers and required patience and discipline from hitters, he continued. Uthappa added that because of their strong defensive strategies and disposition, India’s mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane would have flourished on such courses.
“You see, the situation is dichotomous. It’s not like the wicket is insurmountable. In Melbourne, there are several extremely juicy wickets for fast bowlers. I believe it’s due to the modern style of cricket. These pitches seem unsporty to me, but if you have the correct mindset, the right technique, and the will to succeed, you can also find a way to win this type of wicket. The game doesn’t have a lot of points, but it’s not… A 250 on this wicket is achievable, but the game won’t be a 300-plus affair. You must put up a fight. Act like Ajinkya Rahane and Puji (Pujara).
You will undoubtedly score runs,” Uthappa stated on his YouTube channel.
Uthappa also discussed Joe Root’s difficulties in the second Test match in Brisbane, saying the England batsman seemed totally unmotivated. Noting that even players of Root’s calibre sometimes have tricky moments on difficult surfaces, he called it a terrible moment in Test cricket.
Since our approach to playing Test cricket has evolved, I say this with caution. Like the Ashes Test matches that ended in two days, I don’t really like it. What entertainment-related changes are we making to the sport? In that Test match, Joe Root appeared overly disoriented. In the second innings, he was unable to play attacking cricket or go his own way. It was quite regrettable. “I understand them,” Uthappa remarked.
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