Cape Town’s ‘pitch peril’

The Newlands' deck did its best to realign the world's attention to itself by having the ball spitting and rising throughout the second and final Test between India and South Africa last week. Quite alarmingly, the ball kept swinging on the surface from day one and continued to do so for all 642 balls that were played.

The match worked out in India's favour, but hosts South Africa struggled to disentangle themselves from incessant pitch debacle. India defeated South Africa by seven wickets on Thursday to level the two-match series in a game that lasted not longer than 107 overs and was the shortest Test to produce a result. Unsurprisingly - and understandably, hence - the Newlands pitch, a product of the Proteas' push for a paceman's paradise on which they hoped to unsettle the Men in Blue, was rated ‘unsatisfactory' by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

"The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on. The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots," wrote Chris Broad, the match referee for the Test, in his report submitted to the ICC. "Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce," his statement further read.

As a consequence, the Newlands ground was awarded one demerit point. Cricket South Africa (CSA) can appeal against the sanction within 14 days. Notably, when a stadium earns six demerit points, it is banned from hosting any international cricket for 12 months. The penalty increases to 24 months if there are 12 demerit points.

Over the years, the evaluation and grading of cricket pitches have stirred considerable controversy within the cricketing realm. The nature of the surfaces profoundly influences the dynamics between bat and ball, often leading to subjective assessments and disputes regarding the quality they possess.

And here is India, without an iota of doubt, that finds itself in troubled waters more commonly than others. It is a typical refrain of most visiting teams that Indian pitches are mere dust bowls that turn square from the first delivery. These complaints most often betray a bias against the many turning pitches that India has to offer, which seem unfair to an average Indian and why not! Had there been swing and bounce in these pitches, the visitors would unquestionably have had no qualms about it, because these conditions have come to be seen as ‘legitimate'.

Perhaps, none other than Indian captain Rohit Sharma, in his criticism of the Newlands surface, could have more eloquently expounded upon the subject, rather bluntly.

"We saw what happened in this match, how the pitch played. I don't mind playing on pitches like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don't talk too much about Indian pitches," Rohit had told reporters in his post-match press meet.

"Because you come to Test cricket to challenge yourself. Yes, it is dangerous. It is challenging. So, and when people come to India, it is again pretty challenging as well. If the pitch starts turning (in India), people start talking about 'Puff of dust! Puff of dust!' There's so much crack here on the pitch," he added.

The essence of Test cricket lies in its diverse playing conditions across the globe. Pitches vary significantly in their characteristics, influenced by local climate, soil, and ground maintenance methods. Consequently, a spectrum of pitches emerge, ranging from those that offer assistance to pacers with extra bounce and lateral movement to those favouring spinners with significant turn and twist, while others provide evenly balanced conditions for batsmen and bowlers.

However, the real challenge arises in finding the right balance. Pitches that excessively favour bowlers often lead to low-scoring encounters, much like the Cape Town test, where batsmen struggle to score more than ever. Conversely, overly flat surfaces can result in high-scoring draws, where bowlers find it challenging to make an impact. Striking the right equilibrium is vital to ensure a fair contest between bat and ball, thereby enriching the spectacle of Test cricket.

The subjectivity involved in pitch assessments is a central point of contention. The interpretation of what constitutes a ‘good' or ‘bad' pitch remains forever debatable, as perceptions vary among individuals. The distinction between a challenging pitch that puts players' skills to test and one that excessively tilts the game in favour of a particular facet is often subjective, leading to contrasting viewpoints and disagreements. But at least, Newlands got what it deserved!

The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not represent the views of Mid-Day.