Dhai din mein Test jeetna hai? Harbhajan targets India's pitch strategy for THIS reason

New Delhi: Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has criticized the Indian team management for their strategy of preparing spin-friendly pitches that result in Test matches finishing within two and a half days. According to Harbhajan, this approach is negatively impacting the confidence of India's batters, who are struggling to perform on such challenging surfaces.

Pitch debate in Indian cricket

The issue of pitch preparation in India has been a hot topic, particularly over the last five to six years. The focus often shifts to the nature of the pitch before a Test match—whether it's hard or loose, barren or patchy, and especially if it will begin turning from Day 1. These questions have sparked debates and theories, particularly when teams like Australia and England have toured India.

India's strategy in home Tests has been clear: play to their strengths and secure victories. While spin-friendly pitches have been instrumental in India's unbeaten streak of 17 consecutive series wins at home, they have also posed challenges. One of the most glaring issues is the form of Indian batters on these difficult tracks.

Impact on Indian batters

The spin-heavy pitches have made it tough for visiting teams, but they have also taken a toll on India's own batting lineup. Players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, who once had stellar records in home Tests, have seen their form decline. Since 2020, only a few players, including captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja, have averaged over 40 in home Tests. In stark contrast, Kohli’s average has dipped from 75 before 2020 to 34, while Pujara has struggled with an average of just 24. Ajinkya Rahane has fared even worse, averaging 18 in the same period.

The pitches have only recently improved, as seen in the Test series against England earlier this year, where players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma capitalized on better batting conditions.

Harbhajan's take on team management

Harbhajan Singh, India's fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests, believes that the team management’s obsession with winning quickly is harming the players in the long run. He argues that India’s strategy of playing on excessively turning pitches has eroded the batters’ confidence. 

"We've started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win, but we wanted to win in two and a half days. If we had produced normal pitches that started to turn from Day 3 or Day 4, we still would have won, but our batters would have had time to settle in. We wouldn't be discussing the problems of our batters against spin," Harbhajan stated in an interview with Sports Tak.

He further added that India should trust its bowlers to deliver results on more balanced pitches rather than relying on extreme turners. "If we play on good pitches, I don’t think anyone can beat India. Our bowlers would win Tests on Day 5 if not on Day 3. But the batters need to score runs to build their confidence," Harbhajan emphasized.

India is set to kick off their home series against Bangladesh on September 19, and it remains to be seen whether the pitch strategy will change in response to these concerns.