Australia managed to level the Test series against Bangladesh with a victory by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test at Mackay earlier this week.
The Test saw Mitchell Starc taking ten wickets in the match to hand the Pat Cummins-led Australian team a win. However, the victory was overshadowed by the Test ending in just 650 balls, thus making it the second-shortest Test played in Australia and the fourth-shortest Test of all-time.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the pitch for the Test while pointing out how different standards are applied for Tests played in Australia.
“Another Test match in Australia has finished within two days. This has happened four times there in the last few years. And we are yet to hear any criticism of the trampoline-bounce pitches that produce such results. The excuses will come thick and fast. ‘Oh, the groundsman, sorry, turf executive, got it wrong. He went by the weather forecast, which predicted some hot weather, so he left a little more grass, and that led to the excessive bounce.’ Or the other cricketing excuse that the batters didn’t have the technique to cope with the bounce, and it wasn’t the fault of the pitch. This last excuse could be faintly accepted if the home team batters had batted well, but when even the home batters can’t stitch a run or a decent partnership together, then what does it tell you about the pitch?” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
For the record, the shortest Test in terms of balls played in Australia was the Australia-South Africa Test match played in 1932, which lasted 656 balls. With the Mackay Test ending within two days, it was also the fourth time in the last four years that a Test match in Australia ended within two days with the Perth and Melbourne Tests in the last Ashes and the first Test between Australia and South Africa being the other three Tests to end within two days.
Australia had lost the opening Test of the series against Bangladesh by nine wickets as the Najmul Hussain Shanto-led side scored their first Test win on Australian soil. The Test lasted four days followed by Australia’s win in the second Test. The Test also saw Bangladesh becoming the ninth team overall and first in 21 years to be bowled out for less than 100 in both innings.
Gavaskar added that it will be interesting to see the ICC rating for the Mackay pitch.
“It will be interesting to see the report and rating for the Mackay pitch by the match referee. There’s generally been a desire among the referees to get brownie points from the media of the old powers, so it won’t be a surprise if there’s no adverse rating for the Mackay pitch just as we have seen for similar two-day finishes in recent years. But lo and behold, if a game finishes in three days in India, there will be all kinds of derogatory reports and insinuations made about the pitches, BCCI and Indian cricket. The hypocrisy is so brazen that it is simply mind-boggling. The usual excuse of ineptitude against fast bowling will be brought out. Nobody says the same when the overseas batters can’t play the spinning ball. Then there’s no lack of ability but hidden devils in the pitch,” added Gavaskar.