'It is very difficult for the bowlers. I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is going out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly'
India captain Shubman Gill on Sunday criticised the rapidly deteriorating quality of the Dukes ball and expressed his dissatisfaction with the trend of flat pitches seen in the first two Tests of the series — despite his own high personal returns.
Gill has smashed close to 600 runs in the four innings he has played so far, but looking at the bigger picture, he believes that pitches should offer something for the bowlers.
The quality of the Dukes ball hasn’t helped either, with it becoming softer after just 30 overs, forcing teams to adopt a defensive approach.
“It is very difficult for the bowlers. I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is going out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly. I don't know what it is — whether it’s the wickets or the ball. But it is difficult for the bowlers. It’s very difficult to get a wicket in such conditions, when there is nothing on offer,” Gill said in response to a PTI query.
“And as a team, when you know that it is difficult to get a wicket in such conditions, a lot of things are out of your control. There should be a little help for the bowlers. If the ball is doing something, you can plan accordingly — and then it is fun to play," the Indian skipper added candidly.
“If you know that only the first 20 overs will offer anything, and after that you're on the defensive all day, thinking only about how to stop the runs — then the essence of the game is lost,” he said after India’s series-leveling win at Edgbaston.
Having won his first Test as captain, Gill also saw the funny side when commenting on the nature of pitches in England.
“Yes, like we play in India, most of them are friendly. It feels good to come here and get good pitches for a while (laughs),” he quipped.
However, Gill is not expecting the pitch to be as flat as those at Leeds or Edgbaston in the third Test, beginning at Lord's from July 10.
“We will see what kind of wicket they give us at Lord’s. I don't think it will be such a flat wicket — that’s just my feeling. But we’ll go there, assess the conditions, and decide on the best possible combination,” he said.
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