• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Nowhere In The World Matthew Hayden Expresses Displeasure With Indore Pitch

'Nowhere in the world' - Matthew Hayden Expresses Displeasure With Indore Pitch


image-lepjibpvIndia were all-out for 109 [AP Photos]

The opening hour of the third Test between India and Australia at the Holkar Stadium in Indore was filled with dramatic events as India lost five wickets while scoring a mere 45 runs, despite winning the toss and opting to bat first.

Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, had a stroke of luck in the opening over of the match against Mitchell Starc, as he edged the first ball and was caught in front of the stumps on the fourth ball. However, the umpire's decision remained unyielding. Nonetheless, Rohit was the first to fall in the sixth over, leading to a batting collapse for India.

Subsequently, Shubman Gill replaced the underperforming KL Rahul as an opener, but was dismissed after scoring 21 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara (1), Ravindra Jadeja (4), and Shreyas Iyer (0) also failed to make an impact, failing to reach double digits. The first hour saw significant spin turn for the bowlers, who took all five opening wickets, prompting former Australian opener, Matthew Hayden, to express his dissatisfaction with the proceedings in Indore.

During the live broadcast of the third Test, the Australian veteran harshly criticized the pitch conditions, stating that "nowhere in the world" would a spinner be called to bowl in the sixth over of a Test match on Day 1.

Further voicing his displeasure with the pitch conditions at the Holkar Stadium, the southpaw stated that it was highly unlikely for a spinner to come on to bowl in the sixth over of a Test match on Day 1 anywhere in the world, and he criticized the conditions because they did not allow batters to perform well.

Hayden further explained that the average turn of 4.8 degrees in Indore was much higher than what was expected on Day 1 and that the focus should be on batting during the first two days of the Test.

In response to the Australian’s criticism, former Indian coach Ravi Shastri sharply replied saying ‘home conditions’. However, the erstwhile Indian cricketer admitted that the conditions were a little too challenging even for the home players, but also reckoned that a good partnership could make a significant difference.