India skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his disappointment with the quality of the pitch at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow after the conclusion of the second T20I between India and New Zealand on January 29. The match, which saw Team India level the three-match T20I series 1-1 with a six-wicket victory, was played on a sluggish track that made scoring difficult for both teams.
Pandya was critical of the pitch and referred to it as a “shocker.” In his post-match presentation, he stated that international cricket cannot be played on such tracks. He emphasized that he is not against playing on difficult wickets, but the wicket at Lucknow was not suited for T20 cricket.
The match witnessed 30 overs of spin without a six being hit in either innings, which only added to Pandya’s frustration. India managed to restrict New Zealand to 99/8, but the Indian batsmen also struggled to score runs on the sluggish track.
The India skipper urged the pitch curators to make sure they prepare the pitches earlier, stating that even a score of 120 would have been a winning total on the wicket in Lucknow. He credited the bowlers for sticking to their plans and not rotating the strike, but pointed out that the wicket was not carrying the ball well and was difficult for both teams to play on.
“Both the games we have played on so far. I don’t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier,” Hardik Pandya urged.
“Even 120 would have been a winning total. Bowlers – they stuck to their plans and ensured they did not rotate the strike. We kept rotating the spinners. Dew didn’t play much part in this. They were able to spin the ball more than us. It was carrying through well. It was a shocker of a wicket,” he added.
In a nutshell, Hardik Pandya was critical of the wicket at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow and suggested that international cricket should not be played on such tracks. He encouraged the pitch curators to prepare the tracks earlier and emphasized that he is not against challenging wickets, but the wicket at Lucknow was not suitable for T20 cricket. The third and final T20I of the series will take place on February 1 in Ahmedabad, and it remains to be seen if the wicket will pose a similar challenge to the players.
