Surprisingly, South Africa struggled with a pitch that presented more problems than answers during the New Year’s Test at Newlands.
It was clear that the unusual behaviour of the surface affected the home team’s batters, which ultimately resulted in chaos later in the day for Team India as well. Both stand-in South Africa captain Dean Elgar and batting consultant Ashwell Prince chose to use caution when speaking. Notably, despite having a respectable start and bundling the Proteas cheaply, the visiting team lost its final six wickets without posing any threat to the scorers.
As a batter, you can adapt to the fact that the pitch typically plays a little bit slower. During the post-stumps interview, Elgar told Star Sports, “This one just seemed to get quicker as the session went on.”
More outspoken in his remarks, Ashwell Prince said that even after having Cape Town as his base for years, he was still surprised to see the character of the surface, something he had never seen before. Furthermore, he emphasized not only the faster speed but also the consistent bounce and seam movement.
Never before have I seen a pitch from Newlands like this. A few years ago, I played in the UK, mostly in Nottingham, and the locals told me that the ground had shifted while building took place. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with this. This place is undergoing a lot of work,” Prince remarked.
In response to Ashwell Prince comments, Dean Elgar also spoke up, pointing out that there was inconsistent bounce, especially at different parts of the field.
“That way, there was a much steeper bounce,” he said, pointing to the Wynberg End, while deliveries reared up at the Calvin Grove End. For the batters, this variation in bounce created an additional level of complication.
It says something significant if neither line-up can bat on the surface: Ashwell Prince
In addition, Ashwell Prince conjectured that the more seasoned players found it difficult to determine the precise cause of the pitch’s peculiar behavior. In addition, he made reference to ongoing development in the vicinity of Calvin Grove End and a shift in ground staff as potential contributing causes. Elgar and Prince avoided direct criticism in spite of the difficulties.
Ashwell Prince acknowledged the challenge the batters faced on Day 1 by saying, “If both line-ups can’t bat on the surface, that says a lot.”
It is still unclear how this unexpected pitch will perform in the current Test match and whether it will affect teams’ strategies in other games at Newlands following the match.
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