Ex-India cricketer Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to express his disappointment with the dual stance of cricket experts on pitches. Sehwag expressed his disappointment through his social media account after the first test match between Australia and South Africa ended within 2 days in Brisbane. Sehwag in his tweet stated that had it happened in India, the world would have labeled it as the end of test cricket.
Sehwag seemed furious as to why the experts and critics remained silent on the pitch condition at the Gabba. He was very sharp with his words and used phrases such as “audacity to lecture”. Last year, when the Ahmedabad test match between India and England produced a result in 842 balls, there were lots of criticisms. He may have tried to draw a connection between these two test matches through his tweet.
142 overs and not even lasting 2 days and they have the audacity to lecture on what kind of pitches are needed. Had it happened in India, it would have been labelled end of test cricket, ruining test cricket and what not. The Hypocrisy is mind-boggling . #AUSvSA
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 18, 2022
The first test match stacked up some very interesting stats. Each batter from both teams, except for Kyle Verreynne and Travis Head, found it difficult to score on the green deck at the Gabba. The bowlers made merry of the conditions available and none of the teams could cross the 250-run mark in either of their innings.
Let us look at some stats and records from the first test between Australia and South Africa –
- The test match was the second shortest in terms of the total number of balls bowled after the second world war
- This is the second instance of a test match being completed within the first 2 days in Australia; the first one was Australia vs West Indies in 1931
- Every 25.5 ball a wicket fell at the Brisbane test, making it the second-best bowling strike rate where 30 or more wickets have fallen
- South Africa’s 2nd inning score of 99 was the 4th lowest total in a test inning in Australia
- 99 is South Africa’s second-lowest test inning score against the Aussies after their readmission in cricket in 1991
- South Africa is the only team that has been dismissed below 200 on 8 occasions this year
- South Africa’s aggregate score of 251 (152 and 99) is their second-lowest aggregate in a test match against Australia
What is your opinion of the pitch on which the first test between South Africa and Australia was played?