Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh blamed the Indian team management for preparing spin-friendly pitches to finish Tests in two and a half days, which indirectly dented the confidence of the Indian batters.
Pitches, somehow or the other, have always hogged the limelight before the start of a Test match in India, especially in the last five or six years. The colour of it, whether hard or loose, how barren, whether there are any rough patches, and most importantly, if it will turn from Day 1. The questions have been asked, and theories and reports have done the rounds far too often for comfort when teams like Australia and England have toured India recently.
India’s stance in the last few years has been quite clear regarding home Tests: They want to win and play to their strengths. While producing tracks that assist spinners from Day 1 has resulted in victories and played a crucial role in India’s still-unbeaten run of 17 consecutive series wins at home, it has also had its drawbacks. The biggest one is the form of their batters.
The spin-friendly pitches have made run-scoring difficult not only for the visiting teams but also for India’s famed batters. The likes of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, who had an outstanding record in home Tests, have seen a major dip in form. Since 2020, among the Test regulars who have played more than 8 matches at home, only captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja average over 40. Kohli’s average has dropped to 34 compared to 75 in home Tests till 2019. Pujara, another one of India’s mainstays in the longest format, averaged 24 in the same period, while Ajinkya Rahane’s average was 18.
The pitches improved only in the recent Test series against England earlier this year, and batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit made full use of them.
The Indian batters’ struggles are no longer restricted to Test cricket. A full-strength Indian batting line-up with Rohit and Kohli was all at sea during the ODI series in Sri Lanka last month, resulting in their first-ever series loss in 27 years.
‘We want to win Tests in three days’: Harbhajan blames Indian team management for batters struggle against spin
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said the problem lies in the pitches. Taking an indirect dig at the captain, coaches and overall team management, Harbhajan said their plan of winning Test matches inside three days is hurting the players in the longer run.
“We’ve started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win but we wanted to win in two and a half days. I think, if we had produced normal pitches that started to turn from Day 3 and Day 4, we still would have won but the batters would have gotten time to settle in. And we wouldn’t be discussing the problems of our batters against spinners. We dented the confidence of our batters because anybody get out (cheaply) on those pitches,” Harbhajan told Sports Tak.
Harbhajan, India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests, said India should trust its bowlers to produce results on normal pitches instead of going for rank turners, as this dents the confidence of their batters.
“We still have a chance (to rectify this). If we pay on good pitches, I don’t think anyone can beat India. The pacers that India have, the spin attack that there is, they would definitely win you Tests on Day 5 if not on Day 3. But if you play on good pitches, the batters will score runs, and their confidence will only go up when they score runs. So I don’t think our batters have forgotten to play spin but the conditions have been such (in the last few years) that it has become almost impossible,” he added.
India’s home series would begin on September 19 when they take on Bangladesh in a two-match series.
