As England and India created history by winding a test match in just two days, controversy around Narendra Modi stadium pitch at Motera in Ahmedabad is growing each day. While the cricketing spectrum is divided over their verdict of the pitch, what does the ICC rule say about spin-friendly pitches?
“A poor pitch is one that does not even allow an even contest between bat and ball, either by favouring batters too much, and not giving the bowlers (seam and spin) from either side sufficient opportunity to take wickets, or by favouring the bowlers too much (seam or spin), and not giving the batters from either team the opportunity to make runs,”. “The pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the match.”
Of the 2,412 Tests ever played, only 22 have finished inside two days and half of those were before World War Two, when pitches could be pretty moody. This was the shortest completed Test since 1936.
Twenty-eight of the 30 wickets fell to spin, which is a high ratio even for Asia, where spinners have taken roughly three for every two by pace bowlers since 2010.
While it is fair to say these numbers are not solely down to the pitch - captains Joe Root and Virat Kohli admitted the batting from both teams wasn't up to scratch - the pitch certainly played a big part.