Steyn Defends NewLands Pitch: South African fast bowler, Dale Steyn, has come to the defense of the Newlands pitch used in the second Test between South Africa and India, which faced criticism for its challenging conditions. Rohit Sharma openly expressed dissatisfaction with the track, a sentiment echoed by Dean Elgar and South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad. The Test match, which became the shortest in cricket history, saw India defeating South Africa by seven wickets within two days, witnessing a total of 33 wickets falling, with 23 on the first day.
Pitch curator Braam Mong faced severe criticism for the track, with a significant grass cover left to prevent cracks from widening under sunlight. However, this grass cover altered the ball’s behavior.
Steyn Defends NewLands Pitch
In defense of the pitch, Dale Steyn argued against the fear of cracks, citing examples from pitches in Sydney and Perth, where wide cracks are common but matches often extend to days 4 and 5. He expressed the opinion that the natural deterioration of pitches over days should be allowed, emphasizing that two-day tests are not true Test matches.
“Why we so scared of cracks? Think Sydney, Perth. Cracks so wide you can park a car inside them, and yet they always get to days 4 and 5! Pointless a test being over so fast you don’t even see a hint of a crack. Pitches deteriorate over the days, let it happen. Two-day tests are not Test matches,” Steyn wrote on X
The playing conditions were challenging from the outset, with South Africa being bowled out for 55 in the first session. India posted 153, with the last six wickets falling without adding any runs. On Day 2, South Africa, despite Aiden Markram’s century, was bowled out for 176, leading to India’s victory by seven wickets while chasing 79.
Rohit Sharma, in response to the pitch criticism, stated that India doesn’t mind playing on such pitches as long as there is no complaint about Indian pitches. He also raised concerns about the ICC’s pitch ratings, urging assessments based on what is seen rather than biased towards specific countries.
“The ICC, the match referees, should judge the pitches on what they see and not on the basis of countries. I want to see how the pitches are rated,” Sharma emphasized.
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