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Cape Town - Three former Proteas players have criticised the condition of the pitch for the current India v South Africa Test in Nagpur.
The Proteas are currently chasing 310 for victory, having been dismissed for a meagre 79 in spin-friendly conditions in the first innings.
Ashwell Prince, Eric Simons and HD Ackerman shared their views in the SuperSport studio.
Prince commented: “Have India gone too far? That is the question. If India are a better team in those conditions, if they have better batsmen and better bowlers, why can’t that class shine through over the course of five days?
“India have not been able to beat South Africa in two previous Test series at home. They’ve now lost the T20 series and the ODI series and probably thought they need to do something, and this is what’s happened. In conditions like these I don’t necessarily think the best team is going to win.”
Simons was also not happy with the state of the pitch.
“When you sit and watch this you feel it is too much,” he said. “I don’t think any of the teams have enjoyed playing on this wicket. When the wicket, whether it’s a green seamer or a turner like this, starts dominating the conversation like it is now, then you have gone too far.
“We are not criticising the pitch because of the result, but because how the game has unfolded because of the conditions.”
Ackerman said the state of the pitch was not good for the image of the game.
"I would hate to see what happens on day five on that pitch. Some people are trying to justify the surface because it is being prepared in India, but there is nothing good about it for Test cricket.”
