Let’s get the pitch right this week

The South African cricket team may be 2-0 up with one match to play in the Test series against India, but they need to investigate what is going wrong when it comes to preparing pitches in their backyard. In the first Test in Cape Town, the Proteas got the lively surface they asked for, picked four frontline seamers and squeezed home by 75 runs in a low-scoring affair on a tricky pitch. After the Test, Proteas coach Ottis Gibson expressed his desire to play with four seamers in home conditions on a regular basis, and the hosts requested a similar sporty pitch for the second Test in Centurion. They picked four fast bowlers again and this time won by 135 runs to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series.

But they certainly didn’t get the pitch they asked for, and many believe India, the No 1 ranked team in the world, missed a golden opportunity to take advantage of a surface resembling what they’re used to at home. Had India’s batsmen applied themselves better it could be 1-1 heading into this week’s Test at the Wanderers.

Proteas quick bowler Morne Morkel, who has played mostly at Centurion, went as far as saying the unusual slowness of his home wicket felt like “he was bowling in India”. It has prompted captain Faf du Plessis to demand answers for what happened.

The same mistake should not be repeated in the Wanderers Test this week.