Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh had divided the cricket world last week with a tweet on the quality of the pitch in the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad after the hosts defeated England by 10 wickets within two days of the five-day pink ball Test match.
Yuvraj had gone on to say that if former cricketers Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh had bowled on such conditions, they would have gotten 1,000 and 800 wickets respectively. However, he congratulated both Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin on their brilliant spells in the third Test.
“Finished in 2 days Not sure if that’s good for test cricket !If @anilkumble1074 and @harbhajan_singh bowled on these kind of wickets they would be sitting on a thousand and 800,” Yuvraj had tweeted. While many agreed with his opinion, several others pointed out that it undermined the accomplishments of Patel and Ashwin.
finished in 2 days Not sure if that’s good for test cricket !If @anilkumble1074 and @harbhajan_singh bowled on these kind of wickets they would be sitting on a thousand and 800 ?🤔However congratulations to 🇮🇳 @akshar2026 what a spell! congratulations @ashwinravi99 @ImIshant 💯
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) February 25, 2021
When asked if he agreed with Yuvraj’s take, former India opener Gautam Gambhir said that Kumble and Harbhajan would have ended their careers with a lot more wickets, but for other factors and not just the pitch condition as seen in Motera.
“Yes, wickets are different today, but DRS today plays a huge role. Had there been DRS when Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh were bowling, Kumble would have gone to 1,000 wickets and Harbhajan would have got around 700 wickets because DRS plays a massive role especially in India where there are lot of inside edges, or bat pads and stuff,” Gambhir said on the Runorder show on ESPNCricinfo.
“From that point of view, I do agree with Yuvraj Singh, but from the point of view that had they played on these kinds of pitches, probably not. Because see, wickets have been the same for everyone,” he said, adding that wickets suited for spin bowling is not Ashwin’s fault and it puts further pressure on Indian spinners to perform.
“Ashwin doesn’t ask for these kinds of wickets, it’s the team management that asks for it. And when you prepare such wickets, Ashwin is under more pressure to deliver,” Gambhir said.
Ashwin and Patel took 19 wickets combined as a total of 28 wickets fell to spin in the third Test. England’s Joe Root also took his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
India lead the four-match Test series 2-1 and will face England in the fourth and final Test match in Ahmedabad, starting Thursday. The hosts need to at least win or draw the match to qualify for the World Test Championship final, which will take place later this year. New Zealand have already qualified for the final.
