Fast, bouncy pitches? Bring ’em on
Batsmen have stood up to both pace and lateral movement backing up their lethal pace attack
LONDON: If you think of Test cricket in India you probably think of dry, dusty pitches, barren outfields, vast stadiums and raucous crowds. If you think of Test cricket in New Zealand you probably think of green pitches, lush outfields, grassy banks and quaint crowds. Arguably no two Test nations’ home cricket looks and feels more different than India and New Zealand’s does.
In terms of pitch conditions this is something that we can quantify using our unique Pitchviz model which assesses the difficulty of conditions using ball tracking data. This model shows that other than Australia, no host country has such different pitches to India as New Zealand do. This analysis generally supports assumptions that many of us will have about cricket in the two countries. In India the bounce is low; in New Zealand it is high. In India the bounce is inconsistent, in New Zealand it is unvarying. In India the pitches are slow and in New Zealand they are fast.
The stark difference between conditions is reflected in India’s recent record in these countries. Since 1980, India’s worst record in terms of win-loss ratio comes in New Zealand (0.16 wins per loss) and Australia (0.27 wins per loss).
Having conquered Australia last year—when India’s 2-1 win elevated their record in Australia above their record in New Zealand—india’s focus now turns to New Zealand, where they will be playing a two match series, starting next week.
The fundamental reason for India’s historic struggles in Australia and New Zealand is the difference in conditions and the nature of cricket that this encourages. While in India the low bounce and dry pitches mean spinners and batsmen who can play spin well come to the fore, Down Under it is fast bowlers and batsmen who play pace bowling well who typically dominate. This is most clearly illustrated by the fact that in India more than half of the overs are bowled by spinners whereas in Australia and New Zealand they account for just over a quarter.
But India’s series win in Australia last year was yet another example of how the team has risen above the conditions that usually shape them.
In the last half a decade, which has culminated in India’s rise to the top of the Test rankings, India’s pace bowling attack—historically a weakness due to the dominance of spin in home conditions—has improved to an enormous degree. Indeed since Virat
Kohli was appointed as India’s permanent Test captain, India’s pace attack is arguably the best in the world: only South Africa can boast a better bowling average and they play their home cricket in far more favourable conditions for fast bowling.
The possible absence of Ishant Sharma for the series due to injury could be a big blow to India but with Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami, India still have the makings of a very strong attack. They also have the tearaway Navdeep Saini as a back-up option.
Not only has India’s pace bowling improved in recent years but so too has their batting against pace—another important factor in success in New Zealand where Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson will pose a serious challenge. Under Kohli, India’s batting average against pace bowling has been the third best in the world—but well clear of fourth— and in an elite group alongside Australia and New Zealand who are brought up on quick pitches. Indeed only these two sides rank above India for batting average against balls that bounce above the stumps and balls that are considered ‘short’—the days of teams blasting India out with pace and bounce are over.
Lateral movement also poses challenges in New Zealand but here too India excel: under Kohli no team to have played more than ten Tests averages more against swinging deliveries than India’s 32.41 runs per wicket.
The evidence of the last few years—and most significantly their victory in Australia last year—suggests India are particularly well prepared to deal with the alien challenges posed by this series. That said, while last winter they were able to take on an Australians side shorn of their best two batsmen, the same cannot be said of New Zealand this time around. They are at full strength and will be desperate to get a defining winter to put Kane Williamson’s tenure as captain back on track after their thrashing against Australia. The signs for India are promising but winning Test matches away from home is never easy, let alone somewhere where you have won just one in 40 years.