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Australian cricket greats launch SLAM minefield in Indore after India collapsed to 109 in less than three hours: ‘This field is not up to the testing standard’
- India collapsed to 109 in just three hours on the first day in Indore
- Matt Kuhnemann led 5-16 as Australian spinners dominated proceedings
- Mark Waugh and Matthew Hayden were scathing in their criticism of the pitch
The Indore toss came under heavy criticism after India were bowled out for 109 in under three hours on the opening day of the third Test.
After Australia lost 10 wickets in a single session in the opening Test in Nagpur and nine before lunch in their calamitous collapse in Delhi, it was India’s turn to implode.
The hosts lost seven wickets in the morning session with Matt Kuhnemann claiming four of his five scalps, while Todd Murphy dismissed Virat Kohli and Nathan Lyon took three wickets.
The signs were ominous from the start, with an early delivery from Mitchell Starc kicking up a great cloud of dust that belied the demons on the surface.
With cracks visible even before the start of the game, Australia turned just six laps and were immediately rewarded. Some deliveries spun wildly, others hung incredibly low, and still others simply exploded on the surface.
India collapsed to 109 on the first day of the third test in Indore on a very difficult deck
Mark Waugh (left) and Matthew Hayden criticized the state of the pitch in Indore
Speaking on Fox Cricket, Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh were scathing in their criticisms to the surface.
“The tone probably isn’t up to the testing standard, I think that’s fair to say,” Waugh said.
‘That’s not good enough. You need luck, no matter how good a spin player you are.’
Lyon’s dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara was particularly unnerving, as the ball went wide off the stump, before turning sharply and staying low to detonate the Indian star’s stumps.
Shubman Gil and Kohli were the only two Indian batsmen to score at least 20 runs, while the Australian spinners dominated the proceedings.
Hayden, however, argued that its success was detrimental to Test cricket as a show.
“That’s why I have a problem with these conditions,” said former start batsman Hayden, who averaged 51.35 in India in his career.
‘There’s no way in the world that a spin bowler would get into the sixth over, no way.
Nathan Lyon (centre) took three wickets as Australian spinners rioted in Indore
Lyon’s dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara was arguably the most unnerving of the day, with the ball coming off the stump, before spinning sharply to detonate the furniture.
‘You have to give the batsmen a chance, you are judging their performances in the test cricket match.
“It shouldn’t be about staying low and turning a mile on the first day.”
The third Test was initially scheduled to be played in Dharamshala, but surface concerns forced the BCCI to move it to Indore two weeks ago.
Australia, however, made the pitch look much easier to hit as Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja put together a 59-run partnership to take the tourists to 1-71 at tea.