What makes a good batting pitch

However, there are three basic types of pitches one generally comes across at the international level of cricket: 1 Dead Pitch A dead pitch is entirely flat with absolutely no grass or moisture on the surface.

Edited by Raunak J 5. Cricket Pitch. Sort by: Most popular Recent Most upvotes. Login to post your comment. Show More Comments. No thanks Delete. Cancel Update. Login to reply. Cancel Reply. That result on another rank turner, which crumbled every time the ball pitched on it, added fuel to the fire of the pitch debate.

The raging debate went to the point that Ravichandran Ashwin got riled up during an online press conference. A day later, Sir Vivian Richards joined in, throwing his weight behind India and criticising the "moaning and groaning" about the pitches.

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Follow us on. Living and entertainment iDiva MensXP. All rights reserved. Another problematic pitch and the MCG's reputation will take another hit, or worse The perfect pitch changes over the course of a Test, scheduled to last five days, favouring the bowlers at some stages and batters at others.

On the opening day, it should offer pace and bounce, and potentially swing or seam movement for the fast bowlers. A bouncy pitch conducive to sideways movement can also help spin bowlers. As the great leg-spinner Shane Warne often pointed out: "If it seams, it spins. During days two and three, the pitch should dry out and deteriorate slightly but be in its optimum condition for batting. This is the time to cash in and pile on the runs.

Come day four, the footmarks created by the fast bowlers as they follow through should become more prevalent, creating a patch of "rough" near the batting area. Days four and five are when the spinners should have their chance to shine, aiming the ball into the rough, where it grips and turns off the pitch.

The team that bats last has to negotiate these tough conditions, which can create a mesmerising contest if they are trying to win or save a Test against a world-class spinner. The deterioration can also help fast bowlers because it can make for uneven bounce and, as the ball gets older, reverse swing. The problem at the MCG in recent years has been that the pitch has not deteriorated as much as it should. Nor has the ball bounced and carried, smacking into the wicketkeeper's gloves on the opening morning of a Test.

Instead, it has been a "slow" pitch, with balls dying at the ankles of the wicketkeeper or even getting to him on the second bounce. To be blunt, this makes for dull cricket, with apologies to former England captain Alastair Cook, who made not out in the Boxing Day Test. Drop-in or portable pitches are popular at venues that host multiple sports, concerts and even wrestling events because they can be dropped into the ground, literally.

The AFL is a big fan of portable pitches because footballers complain that the hard centre wicket area causes injuries; drop-ins are used at the redeveloped Adelaide Oval and new Perth Stadium for this reason. The redeveloped SCG, though, has so far resisted drop-ins, despite being home to the Sydney Swans, because it regards itself as a traditional cricket ground. So, too, has the Gabba in Brisbane, which is regarded by many players as having the best pitches in the country — fast and bouncy and suitable for the Australian style of play.

Critics of drop-ins say there is a sameness about them, and that they rob grounds of their individual characteristics. For example, the SCG has traditionally been a spinning wicket. A different strip will be used for the Boxing Day Test. The drop-in wickets at the 'G are about 20 years old — and tired. The surface has been too hard and has not deteriorated during matches, becoming a soul-destroying "road" for bowlers. That's where the added water came in for this month's ill-fated Shield clash.

Curator Matt Page was evidently was trying to inject some extra life into the pitch when he watered it before the match, but went too far. When the ball hit the moist pitch on the first morning, it created divots, which hardened under the sun into an uneven surface.