Nothing wrong in exploiting home conditions though Eden pitch would help seamers: Dhoni

[sangrock]

See, no one would begrudge if India produced spinning wickets since spin is India's strengh and India is playing to its home advantage. I see nothing wrong in that However, it is also apparent that the curator is pressurized into producing an over friendly rank turner who sole purpose was to make India win, just like Mumbai '04 and Kanpur '08. This is not home advantage but blatant cheating.

No its not. If SA cannot win on spinning wickets - THEN THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE NO. 1 TEAM.

[sangrock]

Exactly. Do you expect a turner in Perth when Indian goes to play there? Or did you ever question why Australia (or any other team for that matter) needs doctored pitches to win matches at home? Ever heard the concept that every team is difficult to beat at home? Why do you think that? Every team in the world prepares pitches that suits them. No team ever prepares pitches that suits the visiting team.

:two_thumbs_up:

[thevortex]

B4 that we should have to get out of this mentality that spin is our strength.

Oh, definitely. But see, spin is South Africa's weakness. And we also gain by having rough pitches where our fast bowlers can come into their own. Yes, it works both ways, but hey, theoretically we can still bowl spin better than Harris. :)

[EnterTheVoid]

Did both teams not play on the same pitch?

After the damage is done, what options do you realistically have other than just getting on with it ?

[The Outsider]

Look, use the correct language here: You cannot use intimidation tactics to harress and bully the curator into producing a pitch that will make India win and justify it under the guise of home advantage.

Intimidation tactics, harassment, bullying? Are you alright? Suddenly the masala Indian media has become the gospel it seems.

[EnterTheVoid]

Intimidation tactics' date=' harassment, bullying? Are you alright? Suddenly the masala Indian media has become the gospel it seems.[/quote'] Is bribery what they now call home advantage ? Oh, and just for the record:

Sree, I'm not sure who it is you want to please with your "oh so saintly" arguments about not using home advantage. You do realize the Western media and fans are going to attack India whatever we do? When we used to prepare dustbowls they used to accuse us of doctoring pitches and that we couldn't win away from home. When we stopped preparing dustbowls and now prepare these lifeless pitches at least once a series, we have people like that ***** Atherton (and others) accusing India of "killing" Test cricket even though our away record is as good as any team bar Australia over the last ten years and are no.1. As has been shown to you by Gambit and others, EVERY team uses home advantage, yet it is only India who has to constantly face this rubbish about doctoring wins (as if the pitch magically changes for us when we are bowling). No one said a word about SA preparing a greentop to save their series against England. It is only India who gets attacked for using home advantage, and pathetic Aussie fans masquerading as Indian fans like yourself think you are being somehow morally superior by not playing to our strengths.

My answer:

Its a matter of principle. I stand by my convictions and would argue the same had it been South Africa, England, Australia or whoever, you may have your doubts and think otherwise but I can assure you I would do the same.

[The Outsider]

^ Bribery? Do you know how much an average curator on an Indian ground makes? The news about Dhoni giving 'bribe' after the Kanpur match was debunked just a few days later when it was made public that after every match, regardless of the result, the Indian team pools in money for the ground staff and curators. This has been an age old practice in India, at least since the days of Kapil and Gavaskar.

[TheWall]

South Africa is a much better team than India in all departmenrts of the game and the only way for India to beat the Proteas is by food poisoning them

why dont u send ur terrorist brothers to attack the Saffers just like they did it to the Lankans when they were in ur country.

[EnterTheVoid]

^ Bribery? Do you know how much an average curator on an Indian ground makes? The news about Dhoni giving 'bribe' after the Kanpur match was debunked just a few days later when it was made public that after every match' date=' regardless of the result, the Indian team pools in money for the ground staff and curators. This has been an age old practice in India, at least since the days of Kapil and Gavaskar.[/quote'] I quite you the curator, Pranab Mukherjee himself, word for word when he said the following:

'“They (BCCI officials) called me today, requesting I come up with a pitch that will suit the Indian brand of cricket."

The timing, the desperation, factor those into the background of the situation and tell me, If that is not indirectly alluding to pitch doctoring, than what is.