Making a mark in international cricket is no small feat. Yet, it seems India managed to clinch a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final despite various hurdles. Their journey, however, wasn’t without controversy and ended with a humbling defeat to Australia, a team they had conquered earlier in the year.
During the Border Gavaskar Trophy, India’s campaign was marked by strategic use of their home advantage. They prepared spin-friendly pitches, forcing the game to be dominated by spinners. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and even Australia’s Nathan Lyon, turned the game on its head with their brilliant performances.
Even the Australian rookies, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann, rose to the challenge. Despite the rank turners, they managed to make a significant impact, displaying a maturity that belied their relative inexperience. Intriguingly, the matches hardly lasted three days, except for the fourth which kept the fans on edge till the last ball and ended in a draw.
However, despite their victory in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, India’s performance in the World Test Championship final raised some eyebrows. The loss to Australia, a team they had successfully subdued at home, ignited debates on the quality of pitches used in home matches.
Harbhajan Singh, the legendary Indian spinner, was not one to shy away from the discussion. He claimed that the Indian team was nurturing ‘fake confidence’ from dominating performances on tailor-made pitches. Singh stated, “You cannot give yourself that fake confidence after playing and winning matches on bad pitches where the ball starts spinning from ball one.”
You may also read:
- “Now they are realising the value of Kohli’s captaincy”, Twitter reacts as Sourav Ganguly said that Team India used to play fearless cricket abroad under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri
- “Lol, paying 15 per cent from his own pocket without any fault”, Twitter reacts as Shubman Gill fined 115% of his match fees
Harbhajan Singh blames India’s rank-turning pitches for giving fake confidence to the India players
His strong words pointed towards the need for a reality check. Cricket, especially the Test format, demands the capability to grind out results over five days. Quick results on tailor-made pitches might inflate confidence, but it can also lead to complacency.
Harbhajan’s perspective, therefore, provides a clear message. It’s vital for teams to create a culture of hard work, regardless of the conditions. The real test lies in securing wins on neutral or unfavourable grounds, where the challenge is not just the opposition, but the pitch and the conditions as well.
In essence, while India’s journey to the World Test Championship final showcased their potential, it also highlighted an area for improvement. Moving forward, the Indian team would do well to heed Harbhajan’s advice, making a conscious effort to nurture genuine confidence. After all, true champions are not just those who conquer on familiar grounds, but those who can adapt and emerge victorious in any condition.
Ranting and whining won't make you a better spinner than Ashwin. You are not even better than Jadeja in tests. @harbhajan_singh https://t.co/lahgi3OkAU
— RAM (@MeticulousViews) June 14, 2023
Not wrong here. India needs strong pitches that also requires skill in addition to home advantage.
Turners are good. But not ones that turn square from ball 1 like the Indore one. https://t.co/bC9BcCrHW2
— Archith (@UtdArc) June 14, 2023
Easier said that done when every win matters in a WTC cycle. Let's say you do this consistently for the players fo get accustomed to such conditions. You should also be prepared for the worse case scenario of losing & letting go of qualification in a cycle. https://t.co/leyLGgOmo1
— TakeADeepBreath (@DeepTake) June 14, 2023
snakebhajan talks so much as if the side in early 2000s won every overseas test series and also won at home
They lost terribly outside, at home got whitewahsed by sa and lost series to sa. He should shut his mouth before indirectly attacking ash and jaddu https://t.co/zsaowNrjzt— Cricket Lover (@LoverCrickets) June 14, 2023
Wow bhajji talking about playing 5 days in a test pitch without much help must have many overseas test wickets, right? https://t.co/xgrPy1pDhI
— Prakhar. (@prkhrstopffs) June 14, 2023
He's right here, we need to go back to our flat pitches era during 2016-2019 https://t.co/esjD06BtRU
— Starlord (@NotTheDarkBlade) June 14, 2023
And @harbhajan_singh is the one who defended the pitch saying that it's a good pitch when @CricketAus complained. https://t.co/zHaT5Rh4x5
— Itz_Abhay_^_^ (@amateur_any) June 14, 2023
