Taking 20 wickets is not easyIndia preparing turning pitches due to absence of Bumrah, feels Sunil Gavaskar

By India Today Sports DeskLegendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has said that India are making turning pitches so that their bowlers will be able to take 20 wickets in a test match. Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar said that India might have made more sporting wickets if Jasprit Bumrah was available to lead the Indian bowling attack.

India lost the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Indore by 9 wickets on a pitch that turned square from the morning session of Day 1. India were bundled out for 109 runs in the first innings at the Holkar Stadium and played catch up ever since. The hosts posted a target of 76 runs in the final innings, which Australia were able to chase down with ease, courtesy of Travis Head’s 49*.

“Taking 20 wickets is not going to be easy in India. On a lot of Indian pitches, without your ace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and a slightly inexperienced Mohammed Siraj, I don’t think that bowling attack is such (strong). But with a little bit of help from a dry pitch, India can probably take 20 wickets. I think that is the thinking behind preparing such pitches,” Gavaskar said on India Today.

The former India captain said that the hosts did not have option but to play to their bowling strength so that they could qualify for the World Test Championship Final.

“For India to reach the World Test Championship Final, they did not have any other options (than producing turning tracks). If you would have had a strong attack, maybe you could have done something different but your strength is your spinners and therefore I think these pitches are being made. You do not want a flat pitch where the batters go out and dominate. These pitches are testing the temperament of the batters,” Gavaskar explained.

Asked about who was the best batter of spin he had ever seen, Gavaskar named VVS Laxman and pointed at his iconic innings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

“VVS Laxman is the best player of spin I have ever seen. VVS in Eden 2001, and Mumbai 2004/05 showed spin batting of highest quality,” the legendary player concluded.