Sourav Ganguly has sparked a discussion on the necessity of spin-friendly pitches in India following Jasprit Bumrah's outstanding performance against England on the second day of the second Test in Vizag. The ex-Indian skipper pondered the essentiality of producing rank turners when the Indian fast bowlers have been displaying formidable spells.
Ganguly emphasised his belief in the importance of playing on quality pitches, arguing that the standard of batting in India has declined over recent years due to pitch conditions. He advocated for better wickets that could enhance the game's quality.
"When I see Bumrah Sami Siraj Mukesh bowl . I wonder why do we need to prepare turning tracks in india ..my conviction of playing on good wickets keeps getting stronger every game .. They will get 20 wickets on any surface with ashwin jadeja Kuldeep and axar .. batting quality dropping because of pitches in last 6 to 7 yrs at home ..good wickets are a must .. india will still win over 5 days ..
@bcci," Ganguly wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In the match, India put up a first innings total of 396, buoyed by Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliant innings of 209. England, on their part, started strongly, largely due to Zak Crawley's knock of 76, appearing to be in a comfortable position. However, the momentum shifted dramatically with Bumrah's entry into the attack.
Jasprit Bumrah single-handedly stuns England with remarkable spell
Bumrah's influence on the game on day two was pivotal. He not only claimed Joe Root's wicket for the eighth time in his career but also delivered a yorker that Ollie Pope had no answer to, dismantling his stumps and significantly swinging the momentum India's way. Post-tea, Bumrah continued his dominance by taking out Jonny Bairstow, further denting England's batting lineup and placing them in a difficult position.
Bumrah then sent Ben Stokes' stumps flying before dismissing Tom Hartley and completing his five-wicket haul. Bumrah also became the quickest India pacer to complete 150 wickets in Tests. It was Bumrah who drew curtains to England's innings by dismissing James Anderson. As a result, he finished with outstanding figures of 6/45 in 15.5 overs.
Ganguly's remarks and Bumrah's spell have ignited a conversation about the types of pitches that should be prepared in India, questioning whether the focus on spin-friendly tracks is truly beneficial for the Indian cricket landscape.
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'Ruthless', 'dream' and 'timber striker': Jasprit Bumrah's 'yorker of the year' uproots Ollie Pope's stumps; fans left in disbelief as video goes viral
WATCH: The exact moment that turned momentum in India's corner on Day 2 after Zak Crawley threatened to blaze away
