India started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on a commanding note as they secured a mammoth innings and 132-run win over Australia in Nagpur. Australia were outplayed in both the departments as they could only manage 177 and 91 in both their innings, while Rohit Sharma-led India piled a staggering 400 on the same track.
Ahead of the contest, the discussion mostly revolved around the pitch, with former Australia players and media accusing India of “doctoring” the Nagpur track to produce a rank turner.
In fact photos of former Australia skipper Steve Smith and others assessing the pitch had gone viral on social media. The players were mostly seen on their knees, having a close look at the surface.
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Reacting to the same, former South Africa quick Dale Steyn took a brutal swipe at Pat Cummins and Co. for the same. Although he didn’t take any names, his tweet was indirectly aimed towards the picture of Australian players examining the pitch.
Steyn tweeted: “So quick question to you cricket people. How does one like to read a pitch? Are you a get down on your knees and almost sniff the pitch person or a general stand and observe from the pitch side? Lastly. Did it really help you?”
If you look at the pitch, Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin did have a good outing, but it was their clinical spells rather than any extraordinary assistance from the surface.
In fact, Jadeja, who scalped five wickets in the first innings, had stated it was his “stump-to-stump” tactic, which helped him land the blows on a formidable Australian unit, which had the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja in their batting line-up.
Also Read: Where does Team India stand in WTC points table after emphatic win in Nagpur vs Australia?
While Jadeja claimed a fifer in the first, Ashwin repeated the same in the second innings.
In fact Indian skipper Rohit went to slam a ton on the same surface, while Jadeja scored 70. Axar Patel too played a massive role in helping India pile a gigantic total on the board. The all-rounder scored 84.
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