Adelaide Oval Curator Les Burdett might be a legend in South Australia, however the rest of the world is asking questions about another highway, which reduced what should have a pulsating series decider into a boring, uneventful grind. For the third time in the last five tests, 500 runs were surpassed in the first and second innings. Hardly inspiring. Burdett was fortunate that in 2003, Australia batted over-extravagantly in the third innings to gift India victory, while last year saw England melt under its own pressure. Nothing to do with the pitch, yet those exciting results allowed Burdett to escape scrutiny.This time Burdett wasn’t so lucky. The 2008 Australian attack didn’t have the arsenal to run through a solid Indian line up, so the match trundled along to a dull draw. The pitch offered little for the quicks, possibly less for the spinners. Even batsmen had difficulty getting away. On the final day, ABC’s Jim Maxwell claimed ‘the pitch was the winner’.
Glad something won, because everyone else was a rank loser.
With its lush green outfield, old stands and the timeless hill, the Adelaide atmosphere is one of tradition, however the tradition of dull draws is nothing to celebrate. Burdett says he can’t do anything to stem the problem. Apparently if he puts more water into the surface the team batting first will be at a severe disadvantage. So that’s it? We’re stuck with a road forever? Not good enough. Wickets around the world change character. Look at Perth and Sydney.
The Adelaide test can keep its picnics out the back and banana chairs on the hill. It’s the uniqueness of the setting that makes these five days a true cricketing festival. Doesn’t necessarily mean the cricket has to be a throwback as well.
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If all the catches that were dropped by Australia and India were taken there would have been a result.
The MCG(outfields) and SCG tracks was a shit heaps and because there was a result no one said anything
Get your facts right and then we’ll take notice of column