Thursday 3 December 2009

Death by 443 cuts

In Mumbai today, India scored a record 443 runs in the day for the loss of just one wicket. What on earth are they trying to do to Test cricket?
This game follows run-fests in Kanpur and Ahmedabad on flat, lifeless and deathly dull pitches. With matches like this, is it any wonder that they're played out in front of row upon row of empty seats? People will vote with their feet if they're not happy about the product being served up and the game will suffer as a result. If I didn't know better, I'd say that the Indian board was attempting to strangle the life out of unprofitable Test matches in order to make the already tubby IPL cow even more attractive to those who would milk it dry. You can get away with a one-sided contest between bat and ball for 75 minutes in a 20-over game, but spin it out over five days and people will turn off.
Moreover, it's making an utter mockery of Test records, batting and bowling. It's high time that the records show the quality of the pitch with asterisks next to any game played in such conditions.

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