India vs South Africa: Sunil Gavaskar Hits Back at Indian Pitch Critics

Former India skipper and NDTV expert Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at critics who have termed Indian pitches in Mohali and Nagpur to be "poor", by saying that it's unfair to blame the pitch when it was the batmen's impatience that resulted in fall of wickets rather than a wicket's misbehaving nature.  (Scorecard |Highlights)

India, on Day 2 of the Nagpur Test, took complete control against South Africa after bowling out the visitors for meagre 79 in their first innings. The hosts then scored at a brisk pace to set a 310-run target in a spin-dominated contest at the Vidharbha Cricket Association Ground, Jamtha.

At stumps, South Africa were 32 for two, needing an improbable 278 runs to square the four-Test series. Dean Elgar (10) and Hashim Amla (3) were the unbeaten batsmen. (Sunil Gavaskar Slams Hashim Amla's Tactics During Nagpur Test)

But Gavaskar believes that instead of blaming the pitch, the batsmen from both sides need to look at themselves for such a shoddy performance.

"I understand the point that we need to have a result-oriented pitch, which would give us result on Day five but there has been absolutely nothing that's been said when the pitches in England, where Australia were dismissed for 60 and the matches finished in two-and-half or three days," Gavaskar told NDTV.

"I think three out of the five Test matches finished in three days, nobody had anything to say. Now we have people sitting thousands of miles away watching the odd ball blaming the pitch. (Losing Five Wickets for 12 Runs, South Africa Record New Test Low vs India)

"I would like to ask them where was a wicket lost because of the pitch. Hashim Amla played a sweep shot and was caught, AB de Villiers trying to work the ball and was caught - nothing to do with the pitch, then when it was India's turn Shikhar Dhawan playing a reverse sweep and getting caught - again nothing to do with the pitch, Virat Kohli looking to loft the ball against the spin of the ball and getting caught. So what has the pitch done on these two days for so many wickets to fall," Gavaskar questioned.

Reacting to the comments made by few quarters that International Cricket Council (ICC) should penalize India for preparing such track, Gavaskar said, "I would honestly advise them to talk about the pitches in their own country rather than look at India as a whipping boy.

Gavaskar rather felt one needs to question the temperament and technique of the batsmen rather than blatantly blaming the pitch.

"The demons are in batmen's mind and not in the pitch. It's a typical Indian pitch where the ball is going to turn. When you come to India, you must be prepared to show patience. You must be ready to bend down and smother the spin. When it's spinning and bouncing viciously then I will say that the pitch has got something to do with it," said the former opener.

"Show me a dismissal where the pitch has caused a batsmen's dismissal. It's terrible shots, terrible shot selection and terrible temperament," he added.

Gavaskar felt the Proteas' poor show is because they panicked.

"I gave you examples of the dismissals of the world-class batsmen, but they have also panicked. They have maybe got out in their minds before they have got out in the middle and they have played shots that they are not used to.

"I don't think we would have a 400-plus score. But we wouldn't have had teams getting dismissed for 79 either - definitely not on Day 2. May be South Africans have had a look at the pitch and have got out in the dressing room itself. They got out in the dressing room even in Mohali. But how can you blame pitch for poor batting," he concluded.