Harbhajan Singh Blasts India’s Captain and Coaches for ‘Denting’ Batters’ Confidence

Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh accused the Indian team management of undermining the confidence of the Indian hitters by preparing spin-friendly grounds in order to complete Test matches in two and a half days.

In one way or another, pitches have always taken center stage prior to the commencement of a Test match in India, particularly in the previous five or six years. What color is it, how loose or firm it is, how barren it is, are there any rough spots, and most importantly, will it change from Day 1? When teams like Australia and England have lately toured India, the questions have been raised and theorized about far too often for comfort.

When it comes to home Test matches, India’s position has been very clear in recent years: they want to win and use their advantages. It has led to triumphs and been instrumental in India’s still unblemished run of 17 straight series wins at home, but creating tracks that help spinners from Day 1 has not been without its problems. The form of their hitters is the most significant.

Run-scoring has been challenging for both the visiting teams and the renowned hitters from India due to the pitches’ tendency to be spin-friendly. There has been a significant decline in form for players such as Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, who had an exceptional record in home Tests. Only captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja have averaged over 40 since 2020 among the Test regulars who have played more than eight matches at home. From 75 in home Tests until 2019, Kohli’s average has fallen to 34. Ajinkya Rahane averaged 18 in the same period, while Pujara, another of India’s mainstays in the longest format, averaged 24.

Only during the most recent Test series against England earlier this year did the pitches get better, and hitters like Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal took full advantage of them.

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