It is the pitch report that determines whether the match will support the batsmen or the bowlers. Some of the pitches support both batsmen and bowlers, whereas others appear to be either batsmen-friendly or bowlers-friendly, depending on the condition of the ground on a given day.
Different venues have produced different pitches that are more suited to either batsmen or bowlers, depending on their strengths. Already, we are in the second week of the CWC 2023, and a lot of heated debate has already been in the air regarding differences in pitch conditions across various stadiums. As a cricket fan, you need to understand the nature and impact of these different pitch conditions and the difference that they solely make in the gentleman’s game.
What Role Exactly Does a Pitch Play?
Movement
In the game of cricket, the bowler bowls a ball from one end of the pitch while the batsman plays their shots from the other end. It is the ball that has to fall or dip in the particular position of the pitch, i.e., the good-length area, before it reaches the batsman while they play their shots. Ultimately, it is the pitch conditions that determine whether the ball makes any sideways movements or whether it supports the spinners either on or off the pitch.
Turn
At the same time, this movement of the ball solely depends on several factors, like the type of bowlers, the type of ball that has been bowled, and last but not least, the pitch conditions. If the pitch is bowler-friendly, then it will offer lots of bounce, lateral, and sideways movements as well. In other words, a faster bowler will expect movement from the pitch, and a spinner will expect the ball to turn and grip on and off the pitch.
So far in this CWC event, we have found both batsmen and bowler friendly pitches which in turn has made this tournament a thrilling contest.
Natures of the Pitches
Nature of the Cricket Pitches:
As per the nature of the pitches in the Indian subcontinent, most of the cricket pitches appear to be too hard, and as a result, the bowler can even extract more bounce from the pitch. Some of the pitches appear to be soft by nature, as the ball wouldn’t bounce as much as expected from these soft pitches. Sometimes, it is the nature of the pitch that also affects the pace at which the ball will reach a particular batsman after being delivered by a particular bowler. As the ball falls on the pitch, its pace tends to reduce a bit due to friction.
Fast and Slowness of the Pitch:
If the pitch appears to be a bowler-friendly one, then it will tend to hold the ball as it falls on it. In cricket terminology, it is often referred to by the commentator as the ball coming slower on and off the pitch. This slowness in the pitch appears to be less on hard tracks and more on slower-spinning tracks. Further, it is the softer pitches that mostly favor the spinner as compared to a hard batting pitch.
Hard and Soft Pitch:
In the game of cricket, hard pitches offer low bounce and fewer turns to both seamers and spin bowlers. Whereas, the softer tracks offer hard bounce and plenty of turns to most of the pacers and to the wrist spinners as well.
Presence of Grass within the Pitch
Another important aspect of the pitch is the amount of grass on it. The amount of grass determines the ball’s movement off the pitch. A pitch with more grass will lead to more seam movement, i.e., the ball will deviate more after it falls on the pitch.
Different types of Pitches
As the global event of CWC 2023 progresses, so far we have encountered various types of pitches in a country like India. Let us now discuss some of the different types of pitches that we have encountered in this mega tournament.
Slower and Soft pitch:
Most of the pitches in the Indian subcontinent appear to be mostly soft and slow by nature. These pitches mostly offer uneven bounce and lots of turns to both the seamers and the spinners. Since they are on the slower side, the balls offer lots of bounce and, as a result, come slowly to the batsmen. In other words, batsmen need to be pretty careful and pay lots of attention while choosing their strokes when they play on slower and soft tracks.
Hard Nature of the Pitches:
Whereas pitches that are hard in nature appear to be quite suitable for both fast bowlers and batsmen. Since they offer lots of bounce and seam movements to all the pacers, it becomes really easy for batsmen to play their strokes. In other words, it becomes a bowling and batting paradise for both batsmen and bowlers.
Final Thoughts:
From the above discussion, we can easily conclude that it is the nature of the pitches that solely determines the way the fate of the match is progressing. If the pitch appears to be hard in nature, then it will support both the batsmen and the bowlers. The batsmen, due to the even bounce, can easily play their strokes, while the pacers will get sideways movement on and off the pitch. However, if the pitch appears to be on the slower side, then it will support only the bowlers, especially the spinners, as it will offer lots of turns to them. In other words, it will make the life of the batsmen a living hell, as they need to play their strokes pretty carefully.
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