Ashes 1st Test: Gabba track was a blow to advertising Test match cricket

It is difficult to see how the Aussies can expect to regain the Ashes after their performance in the first Test. What is more difficult to see is why was there no criticism of the track that was prepared for the first Test match at Gabba in Brisbane.

Only 22 wickets fell in the five days after the first day had seen ten go down. That only meant that the track had become better for batting towards the end of the game – as the scores of 500/1 and 100/1 from the two sides show.

In Indian captain MS Dhoni’s words, one could have played another five days on the track and not had a result. (he was referring to the track at Hyderabad in the recently concluded series against New Zealand). Clearly, it did not look like a result was possible on the Gabba track – a far cry from some of the other games that have been played here.

Unfortunately, it could get worse for the teams at Adelaide. Usually, it is a flat track at the Adelaide Oval and unless the bowlers really bend their backs and try to get the most out of it, one gets the feeling that nothing is going to change for this game.

This also brings me a question on what exactly constitutes a good wicket. Usually, the commentators call a track which is flat, a good wicket, which is rather strange. To me, a good track is anything that assists both the departments equally – batting and bowling, with the spinners getting their share on the fourth and the fifth day of the game.

Even in ODIs, I don’t think a track that allows bowlers to leak 400 plus runs in 50 overs can be defined as a good one. These wickets can at best be defined as ‘bowler-killers’. Unfortunately, things never change.