Curators: First Test of every series...

[fineleg]

The curators let the opposition off easily, and they get a "free warmup match" where couple of the batsmen score centuries, a few score useful 40s etc. Cmon, the First Test of a series, prepare a pitch that favors unique things in our bowling - whatever the opposition bowling lacks, and our bowlers can make use of - give us such pitch conditions. Essentially, the opposition batsmen MUST find it hard to score in the First Test then - there shud be ZERO centuries from their side (barring extraordinary brilliance from someone). Have them go into second test as 0-1 and under pressure. In 2006? 2007? when S.Africa toured us, we gave them an easy pitch in Madras(?) for Test-1. Why do the curators not ensure opposition is very uncomfortable starting a series?

[Ram]

This is by no means a 'comfortable batting pitch'. Ideally though, I would still like all our pitches for home series to spin and bounce venomously from day 3. At home, spin is our forte, irrespective of the surge in our fast bowling talent in the recent years.

[Guest whineleg]

yes the curators must practice their pitch prepration skills in domestics first before they do it in international kirket

[Ram]

What always fails to make any sense to me is that if we go to S.Africa and get bowled out in bouncy pitches at Durban in less than 2 days, then we're poor players of pace. But, if foreign teams come to our shores and get flummoxed by spin friendly tracks like the one against Aus in 2004 at Mumbai, or for the 3rd test against the Saffies earlier this year, then those are substandard test pitches. Spin was, is and will be our biggest asset at home, against nonsubcontinental teams. We should NEVER let go off this advantage.

[fineleg]

What always fails to make any sense to me is that if we go to S.Africa and get bowled out in bouncy pitches at Durban in less than 2 days, then we're poor players of pace. But, if foreign teams come to our shores and get flummoxed by spin friendly tracks like the one against Aus in 2004 at Mumbai, or for the 3rd test against the Saffies earlier this year, then those are substandard test pitches. Spin was, is and will be our biggest asset at home, against nonsubcontinental teams. We should NEVER let go off this advantage.

Yes, that is double standard and Aus/SA/Eng/NZ will always say that. But we have to ignore them and prepare pitches which suit us uniquely. Pace pitches can suit ZK and IS, but they will also suit Lee, Clark and Johnson. But if we had vicious turners, then their batsmen will struggle, and AK and HS (even Sehwag and Tendu) can bowl effectively on turners like that with bounce. When we go to Away Tours, they will always prepare pitches that our batsmen struggle on, and try to ensure we lose the First Test. The Aus captain or NZ captain have suggestions and the curators listen to them. But our curators have gone nuts. :angry_smile: They dont give us the home team advantage!

[Online]

[bharat297]

More than that, I believe they need to stop preparing pitches where the result of the match is purely dependent on who wins the toss.