South Africa vs India

Sunil Gavaskar believes that Rohit Sharma’s plea for acceptance of spinning pitches is an impossible demand

The second Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town has become infamous not for its result, but for the lightning-fast pitch that saw the entire match wrapped up in a record-breaking two days. The controversy surrounding the surface continues, with the Apex Cricket Council now deeming it “unsatisfactory” and awarding it a single demerit point.

The Newlands pitch offered extreme seam movement and unpredictable bounce from the very first session, leading to dramatic collapses for both sides. The Proteas humiliation was instant, bowled out for a shocking 55 runs. The Asian side fared slightly better, but not by much, losing six wickets for no runs at one stage. Ultimately, the two-time World Test Championship finalists secured a seven-wicket Test victory.

While the pitch was heavily criticized, Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma said that he doesn’t mind playing on such pitches as they bring a different challenge to the fore. However, he pointed out the bias that is present in people’s assessment of pitches as they tend to be fine with seam-friendly conditions but detests spin-friendly surfaces. He said that foreign teams should also accept the challenge of playing on spinning tracks in the Indian subcontinent.

“Rohit Sharma is asking for the impossible” – Sunil Gavaskar

In his column for the Mid-Day, former Indian captain, Sunil Gavaskar has written that Rohit Sharma has asked for the impossible as the foreign media will continue to scrutinize Indian pitches as they want India to be in the news for the wrong reasons. In Gavaskar’s opinion, India becoming a superpower in cricket hasn’t gone down well with the ones who were previously in control and hence, they will do anything to tarnish India’s image.

“The Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was spot on when he said after the quick finish in the second Test that he doesn’t mind playing on pitches like the one dished out there as it’s a challenge to play on surfaces different from home. He also said that please don’t start questioning the pitch when the ball starts turning on Day One in India. Of course, he is asking for the impossible because as we have seen ever since India became a power in the sport and rightfully began to assert itself in the Apex Council boardrooms, there has been a concerted effort to denigrate it by those from the Old Powers. They arrive with an agenda and come what may, will dish out stories for getting the brownie points at home,” Gavaskar wrote.