India’s home record in Tests has taken a hit in the past year. A Test win on Indian soil used to be a prized possession for the touring teams. Now, it seems like the touring teams have a blueprint to beat India even if the ball turns square from Day 1. Following the 30-run loss at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Australia women’s cricket team captain Alyssa Healy wonders why India are preparing spin-friendly tracks where the batters have struggled. She wants India to use flat wickets instead to avoid a series cleansweep like the one against New Zealand last year.
“I just don’t know what they’re doing to themselves. Batting against spin is not an easy thing around the world at the moment, even if you grow up on those wickets. And I think they should start working that out for themselves. They keep giving themselves turning wickets, thinking it’s going to help them, and it hasn’t. New Zealand beat them at home doing that. So, build yourself some flat wickets and let them go,” Healy said in the Willow Talk Cricket podcast.
Healy believes Indian spinners more effective on non-spin-friendly tracks
Amidst criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch, head coach Gautam Gambhir had made it clear that he got just what he instructed curator Sujan Mukherjee to deliver. Gambhir questioned India batters' technique against spin and the temperament to bat for longer periods. However, Healy feels that India batters are not enjoying the conditions. Also, Indian spinners are more effective when they are attacking the stumps instead of getting maximum turn from the surface.
“I think their spinners are actually more effective on wickets that don’t do as much and their batters enjoy that as well. If that’s what they asked for I don’t understand it because like you said it actually brings the opposition back into the attack a little bit. When you think about Jadeia, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel to an extent as well, they actually were effective attacking the stumps and when all of a sudden they’re turning the ball too much, it’s out of their wheelhouse a little bit so I don’t know, they’ll have to rethink it. They’re losing test matches at home which is a really bizarre thing for India to do. They’re going to have to look at it and go what do we need to do? And I think it might be let’s play on some better wickets,” she added.
India’s next challenge
Since Gambhir took over, India have lost four out of six Tests at home. Their only series win at home came against West Indies who have struggled in the format of late. The second Test will be played at Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati, starting on November 22. India will look to avoid their first series defeat to South Africa home since 2000.