The track offered the Australian spinners turn with inconsistent bounce, which they exploited to very good effect on what was just the Day 1.
Cricket fans were left shell-shocked by the nature of the Indore pitch as turn and inconsistent bounce combined to trigger a horrible Indian collapse on Day 1 of the third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The hosts were undone by the Australian spin trio’s magnificent usage of the track on display, collectively making just 109 all out in their first-innings effort.
While there were mistakes made by the Indian batters, it was mainly the inconsistent bounce with extremely sharp turn on a red-soil deck that made their life doubly difficult, leading to one of their most disappointing collapses at home.
22 off 52 balls from batting great Virat Kohli was the top score of the Indian innings after left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann ran riot at the Holkar Stadium and recorded figures of 5/16. He was given great support by the off-spin duo of veteran Nathan Lyon (3/35) and the talented Todd Murphy (1/23), whose only scalp was as big as Kohli.
The relentless nature of the bowling on a high-end spin-friendly track meant India could muster only 109 all out, giving Australia a chance to bounce back in the four-match Test series after conceding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the BGT 2023.
The track may die down as the moisture dries out and play better but by the close of the Indian innings, it had social media buzzing about it, with cricket fans asking if was this the pursuit of home advantage taken too far by the hosts?
This is how they reacted:
I have said it multiple times before, but I will say it again, making a pitch like this one today in Indore, is like giving a life line to the opposition to compete. Such pitches take out the quality of spin bowling options out of the equation. The gulf becomes non existent.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) March 1, 2023
Live visuals of Indore Pitch Curator 👏🏻#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/ULgaZVqCti
— Shridhar V (@iimcomic) March 1, 2023
Indore’s pitch 😂 pic.twitter.com/XE4dkchIwO
— Danish Sait (@DanishSait) March 1, 2023
Oh bhai, tere bhalo ho is pitch pe. Slow clap, Indore groundstaff. #INDvAUS
— Jamie Alter 😷 🇮🇳 (@alter_jamie) March 1, 2023
Trend of the series so far provides little optimism of Aussie fightback. They’ve caved in abjectly to spin at Nagpur and Delhi. Indore pitch is likely to be a ‘turner’ too. Plus, key players like Warner, Hazlewood, Cummins unavailable. Tough situation to be in
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 1, 2023
Lolol.
Pretty sure the batters would prefer batting on the ‘sandy’ outfield of Dharamshala than this pitch in Indore. https://t.co/h8NRZ9ono2— Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) March 1, 2023
Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar after seeing the Indore pitch pic.twitter.com/DRAevtFuMX
— Ankit Pathak 🇮🇳 (@ankit_acerbic) March 1, 2023
I want every neutral fan to come forward and bash and criticize bcci and ICT management for this joke of a cricket pitch in Indore…i supported Nagpur and Delhi because those were standard good pitches..This Indore pitch is mockery and murder of Test cricke… ICC should step in
— Abhinandan (@Abhinandan6638) March 1, 2023
Only this guy can survive on Indore pitch pic.twitter.com/NzURn9hDjR
— Gagan🇮🇳 (@1no_aalsi_) March 1, 2023
Look at the turn in Indore pitch – 4.8°. pic.twitter.com/Gtwc6hvVXN
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) March 1, 2023
Looking at the way the pitch is playing in Indore, another 2-and-a-half-day test coming up.#INDvsAUS3rdTEST
— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) March 1, 2023
The Indians would be disappointed by their collapse on a pitch that unexpectedly behaved the way it did. Usually the track in Indore behaves true and offers consistent pace and bounce because of the red soil. But this one turned and bounced in inconsistent patterns, which meant each mistake was penalised with the wicket.
