Thakur: Pitch debate is over-hyped

India

The secretary of the Board of Control of Cricket in India, Anurag Thakur, said the debate about the pitches used in India for the Tests against South Africa is overhyped.

The surfaces for two of the four Tests have come in for severe criticism for breaking up, with it taking turn from the first day of the game.

Thakur said: "I think the debate on the quality of pitches is over-hyped. When a match gets over in two days – maybe in some other part of the world, like Australia in three days – nobody raises that question.  

"But when we see a lot of drawn matches, like in the last few years, we say nobody will come and watch Test cricket.

"I have a question to ask about the Nagpur match. Ask any ex-cricketer, how many players from the two teams played a bad shot? Was there uneven bounce? No. Was there more turn than expected? Yes, maybe.

"What is the criterion for a good pitch and bad pitch? Was the bounce uneven, were there injuries? The ICC has sent us a letter and we will soon reply to that.

"But I think there is nothing wrong if a Test match finishes on the fourth day or the third day. You should also look at the batting standards. Remember how [Rahul] Dravid, [VVS] Laxman played on these kinds of tracks?"

India have already won the series going into the fourth and final Test match in Delhi.

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