"Pitch From 70s Or 80s": Ex-India Star Makes Startling Comment On Ahmedabad Surface For India-Australia Test

Former Indian cricket team batsman Sanjay Manjrekar was not impressed by the pitch in Ahmedabad for the fourth Test match between India and Australia as he called it “from 70s and 80s”. During commentary, Manjrekar remarked that the pitch was extremely batting-friendly and the fact that India were able to take two wickets in the first session of the match was a big achievement for the bowlers who did not get much purchase off the pitch. He remarked that a pitch like the one in Ahmedabad was rare in home series but also pointed out that the Indian bowlers did not bowl many wicket-taking deliveries.

"Two wickets in the first session on a wicket like this is a big achievement. There were not a lot of wicket-taking deliveries bowled by India. There was one bowled really well by Umesh Yadav, the catch was dropped," Manjrekar said during the lunch break on Day 1 of the game.

"This pitch is now, like one we have not seen for a long, long time, so two wickets on what looks like a pitch from 70s or 80s, it is a good performance from India," Manjrekar said.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden, however, had a completely different view on the pitch and said that this has been one of the better pitches in the series with help for both batters and bowlers.

"It's a shared session and it is a better pitch for Test match cricket. This will eventually turn and break up, the question is when. We have already seen Ashwin and Jadeja come into the game and even Axar Patel getting overs inside the first session of the game," Hayden said during commentary.