Explainer: Test match ends in Australia in 2 days, still the pitch is 'fit'… Why so much hatred and double standards against the Indian subcontinent?

by

Explainer: There is a debate going on in the cricket world that when a test match in western countries ends in 2 days, it is called 'a brilliant fast bowling performance and their achievement'. But when this happens in the Indian subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan), the pitch is declared 'a danger to cricket and the batsmen'. Recently, the second test match played against Bangladesh on Australian soil is the latest example of this, which has once again exposed this double attitude of the western countries. So let us try to understand in this article why this happens.

Australia-Bangladesh's second test match ended in just 2 days at Mackay ground

Bangladesh team visited Australia after a long time of 23 years, where a 2-Test series was played between the two teams. The first Test match was played in Darwin, which Bangladesh won by 9 wickets and registered its first Test win in Australia. After this historic victory, the Bangladeshi team was very confident and felt that it could win the series by defeating Australia in the second Test at its own home, but the second Test match played at Mackay ground ended within just 2 days. 18 wickets had fallen on the very first day and there was so much extra bounce and pace on the pitch that Bangladesh's first innings was reduced to 67 runs.

ICC considered Mackay pitch fit

After this, when Australia came to bat, they also lost 8 wickets on the very first day. After this, on the second day, Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs and leveled the series 1-1. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match. That is, the match ended within 2 days, but still the ICC has considered the Mackay pitch completely fit and safe. Since then, many questions are being raised that if this happens in the subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan), then it creates an uproar in the western media.

Double standard of media and stalwarts of western countries

Since the match took place on a green and bouncy pitch in Australia, the western media termed it as 'Mitchell Starc's lethal spell', 'a masterclass of fast bowling' and 'the technical weakness of the Bangladeshi batsmen'. No one called for Mackay's pitch to be declared 'unfit' or banned by the ICC. England and Australia dominated in the early decades of cricket history. The mentality of the media there has become that the ball floating in the air (swing) or coming out after taking a hit (seam) is the 'real cricket'. In the Indian subcontinent, when the ball starts turning from day one and the spinners start getting help, it is considered 'unnatural' behaviour. According to him, turn should happen only on the fourth or fifth day, whereas he calls the help given to fast bowlers from the first hour as 'how much life is there in the pitch'.

Home advantage or bad pitch? Silence of the giants on foreign fields!

When the match against South Africa in Gaba in the year 2022 ends in 2 days, the India-South Africa match in Cape Town in the year 2024 ends in just 1.5 days, or now the Bangladesh-Australia match ends in 2 days and 15 to 18 wickets fall in a day, then the foreign legends call it 'difficult conditions' and blame the batsmen.

Uproar by western media and giants on the pitches of the subcontinent

In India, when a match ends early due to spinners, it is called 'pitch doctoring' (deliberate tampering with the pitch). All the greats of Australia and England immediately react to this and start criticizing the pitch, but today everyone is silent on Australia's own pitch. No one is criticizing the pitch for finishing the match in just 2 days.

Foreign media will have to accept the truth of the game

Cricket is a game which is known for its diversity. If in Australia Mitchell Starc can finish the match in 2 days by taking 10 wickets and that is 'great bowling', then in the subcontinent, Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja finishing the match in 2 days is also 'great spin bowling'. The foreign media will have to accept that just as fast and bouncy pitches are a part of cricket, in the same way dry and turning pitches are also an important part of the art of the game.

This is how double standards are decided in cricket

Situation. In Australia/England (e.g. Mackay Test, 2026) In the Indian subcontinent (turning pitch)
Match ends in 2 days “Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc”, “Great performance by bowlers “Death of Test cricket”, “The pitch was not fit for play”
batsmen flop “The batsmen could not handle the bounce.” “Ghosts are jumping on the pitch, it has become a lottery system”
expert opinion “The pitch had life, which is exciting for Test cricket.” “Dust was flying on the pitch since the first day, it is a poor pitch”

Also read: Dhruv Jurel made a record by scoring a century in the Colombo Test, became only the second Indian keeper to achieve this feat in Test cricket.

Leave a Comment