‘Call it off’: Drama at the Wanderers as pitch becomes spiteful
West Indies legend and commentator Michael Holding asks for the third Test between the Proteas and India to be abandoned.
South African bowler Kagiso Rabada, right, celebrates the dismissal of Indian batsman Murali Vijay (C) during the first day of the third test match between South Africa and India at Wanderers cricket ground on January 24, 2018 in Johannesburg. / AFP PHOTO / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA
India managed to gallantly make it to 198/6 at tea of third day of the third Test against the Proteas at the Wanderers on Friday.
More importantly, it gives the visitors a valuable lead of 192 that already looks extremely difficult to overhaul on a treacherous pitch.
In fact, the spiteful nature of the track was more of a talking point than anything else.
SuperSport commentator and former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding was scathing in his criticism of the surface, making a bold call for the umpires to call off the match.
“This is ridiculous. This is a two out of 100 pitch,” he said on-air.
Holding later reiterated his stance, telling ESPNCricinfo: “It’s a sh*t pitch. You can interpret that. They should have called it off when Vijay got hit. This is not a cricket pitch, this is dangerous. Call it off, forget it. You can’t play cricket on that. I have no idea what has gone wrong but I know it’s not a good cricket pitch.”
Both India skipper Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay were hit on the gloves after two Kagiso Rabada deliveries from a good length gained extra bounce and hit them on the hand.
In Vijay’s instance, there was clear evidence of a piece of the pitch flying.
Earlier, Cheteshwar Pujara missed a Vernon Philander delivery that also deviated sharply after hitting a crack.
Following the Vijay incident, the umpires consulted both Kohli and his counterpart Faf du Plessis.
The men in the white jackets also stayed behind at lunch and didn’t order any emergency repairs.
The problem area is a crack on a good length at the Corlett Drive End.
Groundstaff are not allowed under Law 6.4 to change the pitch during the match “unless the umpires decide that it is dangerous or unreasonable for play to continue on it and then only with the consent of both captains”.
That crack could’ve been filled had everyone decided it was in the best interest of the match but there wasn’t any indication of that.
South Africa didn’t help their cause by dropping Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar both as their seventh-wicket stand of 51 served as a reminder again that this wicket is playable.
Rahane’s 46 has been particularly accomplished while Rabada boasts figures of 3/59.
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