Quote:In this batsman-friendly era, in which they have been gifted myriad advantages, batsmen ought not to be further coddled by making what ought to be a challenging occupation so cushy. It was "as flat a wicket as you'll ever see," remarked England captain Joe Root.

Australian captain Smith, despite having saved his side with a second-innings century, wasn't smitten with the surface either: "I think it just needs to do something. It hasn't changed over five days and I'd say if we were playing for the next couple of days it probably wouldn't change at all either. It's got to find a way to have some pace and bounce, or take some spin, or do something."

The overly placid surface is inimical to good cricket. Allowing batsmen to pad their averages while bowlers struggle hard for very little reward does nothing for the game as a contest.

Given a choice between viewing a game on a batting paradise or one that renders batting difficult, fans should choose the latter every time. Far from diminishing the quality of the game, sporting tracks often breathe life into them. Instead of engaging in run-scoring festivals, batsmen are forced to plumb the limits of their abilities to survive and to score runs.

Difficult surfaces also make for more unpredictable encounters. And while this is not to suggest that minefields be deliberately prepared — that would be taking things much too far — unpredictability adds excitement and suspense to a sporting event.

The wicket that brings the bowler back into the game, as opposed to having them serve a mere cannon fodder, is good for the game. Viewers might not see the ball climb into the stands as often, and batsmen may not be able to pile up mountains of runs, but games played on sporting wickets are frequently far more fascinating, even when they turn out to be low-scoring affairs.

bobby post=356816 Wrote:I know nothing about how drop in pitches are prepared or constructed

alex post=356815 Wrote:if the pitch looks dead after 3 days they bring back the beamer for the last 2