As India take on West Indies in 2nd Test of 2-test series today(12th Oct,2018). I take a look at recent test matches that yielded result in India.
Since Jan 2017, 10 Test matches(before 2nd Test at Hyderabad) were played, yielding 7 results. India winning 6, losing 1 and drawing only 3.
Of those 7 results, 6 finished within 4 days (Two got over 3 days, three got over in 4 days, and one got over in 2 days). 60% of matches got over in 4 days.
It poses a query how Test pitches prepared here in India. Are they exclusively for host team or there is some balance ?.
The answer is, it is exclusive for India!.
Hence let us take a look at first class matches played in India. During last season’s(2017-18) Ranji Trophy – was surprised to that 41.76% of them didn’t have result (drawn, and abandoned)!!. Suggesting wickets are batting friendly in India…
A quick result summary of 2017-18 Ranji Trophy matches
Matches played – 91
Results – 53 matches (58.00%),
Drawn – 36 matches (39.56%)
Abandoned -2 matches (2.19%)
Follow-on – 19 matches (20.87%)
Matches finished with day to spare – 15 matches(16.48%)
Batting friendly surface:
The pitches have been batting friendly last year, producing 400 plus scores regularly for teams. Clearly suggesting that teams have policy of bat awhile when conditions are friendly, irrespective of the result.
The 2017-18 season had 91 matches, in which 50 times teams went pass 400 score -surprisingly 27 times for teams that batted second …meaning batting is great for first 3 or even 4 days…
Of those 36 drawn games, 24 of them produced 3 innings, and not four…suggesting one team batted only once in a 4 day match. This also includes 7 follow-ons!.
Follow-on : The team that bats second is asked to follow-on. In domestic cricket 150 or more runs lead is par score for teams to enforce a follow-on.
Now fascinatingly there were 19 instances(20.87%) when teams were asked to bat again(follow-on) last year. This is a high percentage of follow-on considering it is a 4-day match(QF, SF and Finals excluded). Of which 12 had results, and 7 were drawn.
To conclude this small analysis on Indian cricket.
Last season’s Ranji Trophy matches sums up that one need not under prepare Test pitches to get a result.
