Quantity Over Quality: BCCI and Indian Pitches

With all due respect to the Indian fans and the BCCI, this is really pathetic and shameful to see pitches being produced specifically for ODI cricket. Having said that, I have previously talked about the IPL and T20 World Cup pitches in India, where 250 is being chased almost every other day. At the very lowest point, we can accept that T20 cricket is primarily about entertainment, but for One-Day International cricket, absolutely no way.

ODI cricket is a beautiful blend of Test cricket and T20 cricket. In the first 10 overs, the new ball swings, there are a couple of slips in place, and at the end of 15 overs, we might have a score of 60 for 3. Then comes a little partnership in the middle overs, with spin being introduced from one end and the batters having to build the innings. The final part of the innings then turns out to be entertaining as the T20 mode is switched on, and by the end, we might have a score of 270–300. This is real fun, and this is the beauty of ODI cricket.

It is really disappointing to see the West Indies scoring 400+ in the first innings and India chasing it rather comfortably. Of course, on an odd day, we see records being made, and sometimes a team chasing such a total still struggles, resulting in a close encounter that the fans absolutely love. That is completely understandable. Records and extraordinary performances are part of cricket.

But when these kinds of pitches start becoming a regular feature, it takes away a major part of what makes ODI cricket special. The contest between bat and ball should remain meaningful throughout the 50 overs. There should be something for the fast bowlers with the new ball, some assistance for spinners and smart bowlers in the middle overs, and then an opportunity for the batters to dominate towards the end.

Summing up the discussion, I would just want to add that it is high time for the BCCI to think about this and choose the quality of the game over quantity. And it is not like it was always the same. We had beautiful and competitive ODI cricket and IPL games in India back until around 2020, but then, all of a sudden, we saw a dramatic change in the nature of the pitches.

Cricket does not need every innings to produce 350 or 400 runs to be entertaining. Sometimes, a 260–270 game with proper competition between bat and ball can provide far more drama, skill and excitement. That balance is what makes ODI cricket a beautiful format.