The Game Loses its Essence: Gill on Flat Pitches & Dukes Ball
The ongoing Test series between England and India has been a topic of discussion among cricket enthusiasts worldwide. The Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, has been struggling to make an impact on the English pitches, which have been described as flat and offering little assistance to the bowlers. In a recent interview, Gill shared his thoughts on the state of the game, stating that the combination of flat pitches and Dukes ball is making it challenging for the bowlers to be effective.
Gill’s comments came after India’s second Test match against England, where the visitors were unable to defend a target of 378 runs. The Indian bowlers were unable to make any significant inroads into the English batting lineup, and the visitors were eventually bowled out for 292 runs. The English batsmen, on the other hand, were able to capitalize on the dry and flat pitch, scoring runs with ease.
Gill’s concern is that the current state of the game is making it difficult for the bowlers to be creative and innovative. He believes that when the bowlers know that they will only get a limited amount of help from the pitch, they are forced to spend most of the day on the defensive, trying to stop runs from being scored. This, according to Gill, takes away from the essence of the game.
“The game loses its essence when you know there are only 20 overs of any help and then you have to spend the rest of the day on the defensive, thinking how to stop runs,” Gill said in an interview. “It’s not about how you can take wickets or how you can be creative. It’s just about how you can stop runs. That’s not the way cricket should be played.”
Gill’s comments have been echoed by many experts and fans of the game. The current state of the game has been criticized for being too one-sided, with the batsmen holding all the power. The bowlers, on the other hand, are struggling to make an impact, and the game is becoming increasingly predictable.
One of the main reasons for this is the use of the Dukes ball. The Dukes ball is a type of cricket ball that is designed to swing and seam more than other types of balls. However, the English pitches have been described as flat, which means that the Dukes ball is not getting the same amount of assistance as it would on other pitches.
The absence of swing and seam also means that the bowlers are unable to use their skills to their fullest potential. The Dukes ball is designed to be used on pitches that offer some assistance, and when it is used on flat pitches, it becomes less effective.
Gill’s comments have also highlighted the need for the pitches to be prepared in a way that allows the bowlers to have some assistance. The English pitches have been criticized for being too dry and flat, and the Indian team has been struggling to make an impact as a result.
In conclusion, Shubman Gill’s comments on the state of the game are a timely reminder of the importance of preparing pitches that allow the bowlers to have some assistance. The current state of the game is making it difficult for the bowlers to be creative and innovative, and it is taking away from the essence of the game. The use of the Dukes ball on flat pitches is also a major factor in the bowlers’ struggles, and it is up to the pitch curators to find a way to make the game more balanced.
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