'If Ahmedabad pitch is acceptable, there'll be huge ramifications for world of Test cricket': David Lloyd
The third Test match between India and England ended in two days with India winning the contest by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Former England cricketer and renowned broadcaster David Lloyd slammed the Ahmedabad pitch for the India vs England day-night Test, demanding answers from ICC.
The third Test match between India and England ended in two days with India winning the contest by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
India’s first innings total of 145 was the highest score in the Test match in which England were bowled out for 112 and 81.
Lloyd said pitches like these don’t offer a contest and wanted ICC to look into the matter.
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“I'm really not bothered who wins when it's a lottery like this. It's just not a contest.
“Yes, techniques have been poor but if this pitch is acceptable to the ICC and there's more of this there will be huge ramifications for world Test cricket,” Lloyd wrote in his column for Daily Mail.
Llyod said Test matches finishing in two days is not the advertisement for the longest format of the game.
“I gave this pitch the benefit of the doubt on the first day but, I'm sorry, it was just as bad as the last one.
"And the big question has to be asked again of the ICC. Is this how you want the game to go? Tests finishing well under time, this one not even lasting two days? We need answers from Dubai but I'm not expecting to get a single one,” Lloyd added.
India spinner Axar Patel became the first cricketer to claim more than 10 wickets in a day-night Test. He finished with 11 wickets in the match while Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 7 wickets.
For England, captain Joe Root grabbed his maiden five-wicket haul.
Lloyd said when part-timers like Root get five-wicket hauls in Test cricket then it speaks a lot about the surface.
“But it told you everything you need to know that instead of that second spinner a part-timer in Joe Root took five wickets in six overs!
“I remember Allan Border once taking a seven-for with part-time spin. And Michael Clarke grabbed a six-for. When part-timers do that something isn't right. Even I would have got wickets on that pitch and I was hopeless,” Lloyd wrote.
Commenting about England’s decision to play three seamers and only one specialist seamer on that pitch, Lloyd said off-spinner Dom Bess is perhaps ‘unselectable’ now.
“Plenty are saying England got it wrong in not picking the second spinner but my mind goes back to that time Ashley Giles said Steven Finn was 'unselectable'.
"Once Moeen Ali had gone home they only had one they could trust in Jack Leach. Sadly, I think they believe Dom Bess is 'unselectable' right now. It looked like he had the yips in the first Test,” Lloyd added.
India and England will again meet in the fourth and final Test starting from March 4 at the same venue.