Gavaskar lashes out at dangerous Newlands pitch curation

Former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at the apparently dangerous pitch preparation during the second test between India and South Africa at Newlands. “It will be most interesting to see what the Newlands pitch is rated after what turned out to be the shortest Test match ever. I have always maintained that a pitch where a batter is physically threatened is far more dangerous than a pitch where only the batter's reputation is under threat. The excuse suggests that there was no intention to prepare a pitch like that but the fact is that after India’s defeat in three days, the message had gone out to the curator that a grassy pitch was needed for South Africa to wrap up another series win over India,” he stated in a blog in Mid-Day. 

He also pointed out the blatant double standards when it came to assessing the pitch conditions in Asia in comparison to the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries. “When our curators make a dry pitch then it’s ‘chicanery’ as a former Australian skipper said last year after the Aussies had been walloped in the first two Test matches. So our groundsmen do it deliberately, but their groundsmen just get it wrong. It’s like before the third country umpires came in, where decisions by their umpires were excused as ‘human error’ while our umpires were cheats and ‘Delhi Butchers’ and all such derogatory headlines. In about three weeks time another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whining and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticised and allegations will fly thick and fast,” his blog added.  

Gavaskar also praised Indian captain Rohit Sharma for not putting across complaints about the pitch and cautioning the media from making similar claims when a turning pitch is prepared in India.