South Africa vs India: A bowler-friendly wicket is a poor pitch for only the broadcaster

That Vishy 97.

On a Chepauk track that was seriously quick… against a marauding West Indies pace attack in 1974, India were reduced to 76/6. But Gundappa Viswanath played a blinder and ensured that India ended up with a first innings total of 190. The next highest score in the Indian line-up was 19. Andy Roberts finished with 7/64.

Surviving on the wicket wasn’t easy but Vishy adopted an aggressive approach – hitting 14 boundaries in his 228-minute knock. It was a Test match innings of the highest class. The old-timers still rave about that knock. They will never stop, for that is the charm of an innings played on a bowler-friendly wicket.

Brian Lara 153* (v Australia in 1998-’99), Azhar Mahmood 132 (v South Africa at Durban in 1997-’98), Kim Hughes 100* (v West Indies at Melbourne in 1981-’82), Gavaskar’s 96 in his swansong Test – played on a raging turner, in the fourth innings no less are all examples of great innings played in adverse conditions. There are many, many more… each with it’s own fascinating story… of guts; of glory; of triumph and of defeat.

It puts batting skill on a premium. It turns the tables on the usually pampered modern day batsmen and makes them dig deep. It is fascinating because it is becoming increasingly rare to see batsmen graft and just look to survive each delivery that comes their way. The spectator watches each ball with rapt attention, knowing that anything and everything can happen. It demands a special kind of attention.

Amla, Kohli, Pujara

That is precisely why the innings’ of Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara will be remembered by all those watching for a long time. They came in difficult, demanding circumstances – conditions that forced them to adapt, back their skills or hunker down. On a wicket like this, you have to find your own way to survive and score runs.

On Day 2, Amla chose to take a page from the Steve Smith book. The right-hander had been dismissed playing at deliveries way outside the off-stump in the earlier Tests but with almost every delivery moving in the air and off the wicket, he chose to make a huge initial movement and place his back leg in line with the off-stump.

The strategy worked wonders. It confused the Indian bowlers: should they bowl at the stumps or the batsman? It was a classic tactic that only the best batsmen are capable of. He would also stand way outside his crease from time to time, further messing with the bowlers mind.

When the bowlers would attack the stumps, he would help himself to runs on the leg-side and when they bowled just wide of him (and not the stumps), he would just let it go… knowing that it had no chance of dismissing him. His 61 showed why he is one of the finest batsmen in world cricket.

Just as it showed why Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli deserve the accolades too. Yes, winning is important but when you look at things from a pure batting perspective – few things can be more satisfying than scoring runs for the team in trying conditions.

Pujara chose to try and wear down the bowlers. He chose his own method and he made it work. That was also adapting to the situation. He did not lose his patience and it wasn’t until he had survived two sessions that he finally played a drive.

Kohli, on the other hand, chose to trust his own game. He decided to play as he usually does. Sure, he played and missed but then who hasn’t on this wicket.

But such wickets also demand a certain kind of discipline from the bowlers. It’s not like they can just run up and get wickets. When the South African bowlers lost their discipline towards the end of the day’s play, India’s batsmen found the going that little bit easier and who knows what impact that session could have on a match where even a single run might be the difference between victory and defeat.

Watching players play shots on this wicket has such a satisfying feel because you know that the batsman is risking something each time he tries that. The difficulties make you appreciate the success that much more.

It also puts things into perspective. One also hopes that this wicket is not categorised as a ‘poor’ wicket; a bowler-friendly wicket is poor wicket for no one other than the broadcaster. Few days of cricket means fewer ads and we get that but surely, exciting cricket also means greater TRPs for the days when the match is on. Doesn’t it?

As a fan, one would rather have a match which forces you to watch each and every ball rather than one where a batsman scores another century in his sleep. But hey, we’d rather categorise those as ‘good wickets’ than this one.