India v/s South Africa 3rd Test: Third tie could end in three days

As wickets tumbled on a rank turner during first day's play in the third Test between India and South Africa here on Wednesday, people started planning a visit to nearby tiger resort — Tadoba — assuming the match will end in three days.

Totally 12 wickets fell on Day One at the VCA Stadium, Jamtha, where the odd ball was spinning from length and beating the batsmen. And this gave credence to belief that the match will end in three days and it may not a bad idea to plan and get a dekko at the striped cat, what with two days to spare.

Also doing rounds here were jokes on the need to make Tests in India a three-day affair. As illogical and preposterous as it sounds, the reason being touted was "at least it will not make mockery of the oldest and the purest format and of the paying public".

While the joke may die silently soon, the 'three-day Test' in Mohali between the same teams recently was not funny, neither were the spate of matches that did not last five days in recent years in the sub-continent.

Think of it, India ticks all the pre-requisite boxes. Deteriorating pitch – tick. Stack up spinners in the attack — tick. Criticise curators who do not prepare turners— tick. When all these boxes are ticked, the match is already half over, play being reduced to a farcical formality.

It is one thing to play to home advantage — all countries make tracks that suits them — but it is a totally different thing to prepare wickets that can be used for long jump practise in a few days. Sporting wickets in Tests are those that assist batting initially and go the bowler's way with wear and tear.

What started as a clamour for home advantage after a humiliating loss in an away series has now become an unabashed practise.

Spin has always been India's strength at home and tracks were made in a way that ball starts turning from Days 3 or 4. However, the ball turning at almost right angles from Day 1 is a recent phenomenon. The practise of providing doctored pitches is almost the norm in the last couple of years.

Yes, the Indians have been winning handsomely, they did so in Mohali defeating South Africa by 108 runs. Even the Bengaluru wicket started spinning from the start and the match might have seen an early ending had it not been washed out by rain.

These kind of doctored wickets may give hosts the advantage as they are considered better players of spin but is it a good advertisement for Test cricket? Especially when it is struggling to survive the onslaught of Twenty20?

Legendary left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi did not agree with the current trend.

"The board has not got the pitch right. Either you go on to prepare an extremely flat track where batsman enjoy or you prepare a pitch like this where the ball starts turning from day one. There should be a contest between bat and ball. The ball should start turning from day three or four instead of the first day. You should have something for everybody," Bedi told dna.

Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar defended the wickets. "It is definitely a result wicket and it's a wicket which is equally challenging for both sides. And whichever side adapts to it has a chance of winning the game," he said at the customary press conference.

Bangar said: "When India travels overseas, the ball starts seaming from Day 1, I think right from the first over. The wickets are the same for both the sides. I think it is a test of skill, just as you have the skill to counter the seaming ball, the skill against the spinning ball is equally important."

There has not been a single century in the ongoing series so far, but Bangar said it is a challenge to score. "It is a very challenging wicket to score and if you see the six completed innings, it has been a low scoring series and you need to accept that."

Bedi, however, was not impressed. He said, "The International Cricket Council (ICC) should look into this issue. It is a five-day Test and the matches getting over in three days is not good."