English
New Delhi: Robin Uthappa gave a blunt assessment of the MCG pitch, and called it challenging and seam-friendly but far from unplayable. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said such surfaces appear extreme only because modern batting has moved away from patience.
His main concern was, “recognise that 250 is a competitive total on this surface and bat accordingly, with technique, discipline, and mental toughness.”
“See, it’s a dichotomous situation. It’s not like it’s an impossible wicket. There are such wickets in Melbourne which are very juicy for fast bowlers… I think it’s because of the way cricket is played today. I feel like these pitches are unsporty, but if you have the right technique and the right mindset and the fight in you, you’ll be able to figure out a solution for this kind of a wicket also. It’s not a high-scoring game, but it’s not…It won’t be a 300-plus game, but even a 250 on this wicket is possible. You gotta fight it out. Play it like Puji and Ajinkya Rahane. Definitely, you’ll score runs,” said Robin Uthappa.
Uthappa pointed out that the pitch is perfectly balanced, but batters still have to control the innings. With a solid defence and a clear mindset, they can overcome the toughest spells and continue to score runs.
Uthappa cited Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane as example and spoke about their innings shaped by disciplined leaving, patience, and an understanding that pressure is temporary, not decisive.
Uthappa also commented on Joe Root’s difficulties in the second Test in Brisbane, stating that the England batter seemed lost and calling it an unfortunate episode in Test cricket.
“I am saying this with a grain of salt because the way we’re playing Test cricket has now changed. I don’t enjoy it a lot, like Ashes Test matches that finished in two days. What are we doing to the sport for entertainment? Joe Root too lost in that Test match. He didn’t know how to play, play attacking cricket, or play his own way in the second innings. It was quite unfortunate…I empathise with them,” he added.
Overall, If Test batting focuses solely on immediate aggression, taking wickets will be easier, it will create unpredictability. Once batters lose faith that a solution exists, the format risks losing its defining feature “the ability to endure under pressure”.
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