'Mockery Of Test Cricket': Indore Pitch Receives Stern Criticism From Cricketing Legends

Ex-India spinner Dilip Vengsarkar, one of the finest batters of spin bowling, feels the trend of three-day finishes in India makes a mockery of Test cricket.

Ind vs Aus Indore Test: Matthew Hayden was critical of the Indore pitch and felt sorry for the fans of Test cricket.

Source : PTI

The 22-yard strip at Indore's Holkar Stadium in the news and for all the wrong reasons. A total of 14 wickets fell on Indore track on Day 1 of Ind vs Aus 3rd Test. India, batting first, got all out for just 109 runs while Australia somehow managed to crawl to 156 for 4 by the end of day's play. Indian pitches at Nagpur and Delhi, venue of 1st two Tests, had to cope up with some serious criticism for its diabolical nature and it won't be surprising if ICC match referee Chris Broad gives a 'below average' rating to Indore pitch. 

Cricketing legends react to Indore pitch...

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar feels the trend of three-day finishes in India makes a mockery of Test cricket.

"The pitch makes all the difference if you want to watch good cricket. You must have wickets with even bounce so that both batters and bowlers get equal opportunity. If the ball turns from day one and first session itself and that too with uneven bounce, it makes a mockery of Test cricket,” Vengsarkar told PTI.

"It is important to get crowds back for Test cricket. You see that in England and Australia but unfortunately it is not happening in India. People will come back to Test cricket only if it is interesting. Nobody wants to see bowlers dominating the batters from first session itself,” added Vengsarkar.

Australian great Matthew Hayden was critical of the Indore pitch and felt sorry for the fans of Test cricket.

"No way spinners should come to bowl in the sixth over. This is the reason I don't like these kinds of surfaces. It shouldn't be keeping this low and turning so much on Day 1. It doesn't matter whether Australia wins this Test or India. These kinds of surfaces are not good for Test cricket," said Hayden on air.

"It was mayhem," former Australia test batsman Mark Waugh said on Fox Sports.

"The pitch was not up to Test standard, I think that's a fair thing to say.

"Balls going through the top (layer) in the first 20 minutes of a test match, that's not good enough."

One of Australia's finest wrist-spinners ever, Brad Hogg quipped on Twitter: "One day test match anyone?"