Mohinder Amarnath Believes ICC should be Vigilant about Quality of Test Pitches

Part of the famous World Cup-winning squad of 1983, former Indian cricketer Mohinder Amarnath stated his reservations regarding the quality of Test pitches getting prevalent in modern cricket.

Amarnath believes India gave South Africa a run for their money in the three-match Test series and claimed the result of the series would have been different if India was provided with a better set of wickets.

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The pitch used in the Johannesburg Test was rated as ‘poor’ by the ICC much like the Nagpur pitch used during the Freedom series of 2015. There has been a growing tendency of Test matches rarely lasting all five days in the recent years and visiting teams succumbing under pressure.

“With a little luck in the earlier games, India might have won the series. The pitches right through the series were not really great for international cricket and I think the ICC should look into the type of pitches used, not only in this but in all series, to ensure that the pitches are of a good nature so that one can get a good five days of cricket,” claimed Mohinder Amarnath according to TOI.

That said, one of the major positives from the recently concluded series is Indian bowlers managing 20 wickets in all the three games. India has never been able to achieve this feat while travelling abroad.

Amarnath seemed satisfied with the performances from the bowlers but advised the batsman to study Virat Kohli‘s methods who scored a brilliant century in Centurion and important half-century in Jo’burg.

“I was always sure about the bowlers doing well; it’s the batting that was going to be challenged. The batsmen need to take a leaf out of Virat’s book and apply themselves the way he did, He was the standout player for me, a class apart, showing temperament, technique, and spirit, and that aggression is the best defence on difficult tracks and against some really good fast bowling. This is how the rest have to go about the game: play their shots, score runs or things are not going to work. Aggression and positivity are the two things needed to do well abroad,” adviced the 67-year old.

With the Test series done and dusted, the focus now shifts to white ball cricket with India locking horns with the Proteans for a six-match ODI and three-match T20 series. Amarnath predicts India has a slight edge over South Africa due to the balance they possess in their lineup. The Men in Blue take on the Proteans at Durban for the 1st ODI on February 1.

“This win is a good one for India to take into the ODI series. They are a fantastic one-day side, and they’ve shown that around the world. The white ball makes all the difference, and I’m sure the wickets will be pretty good. There isn’t much difference between the two sides, but I still feel that India have the edge. They have a good all-round side and I’m hoping they will do well in the one-dayers,” concluded Mohinder Amarnath.