Brisbane, Dec 21 (PTI) Former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori conceded that the pitch conditions at the Gabba were tough for batters but felt the quality of bowlers in Australia and South Africa’s line-up played a big role in the opening Test ending inside two days.
The Brisbane pitch received a ‘below average’ rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the hosts won the match by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead with three days to spare.
However, Vettori, who took over as Australia’s assistant coach in May this year, said he had seen “worse” pitches.
“It was just really tough conditions and once in a while as a bowling group you don’t mind that,” Vettori was quoted as saying by ‘Zero Wicket’ on Wednesday.
“Just because of the nature of how good those bowling attacks were they probably embellished it a bit. So, you wouldn’t want to play on it every day, but I think for occasional Test matches it’s not the worst thing,” he added.
The ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees member Richie Richardson noted that the Gabba pitch was “too much in favour of the bowlers”.
“There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships,” Richardson had noted a day after the match ended.
South Africa skipper Dean Elgar also criticised the green top, saying, “I don’t think that was a very good Test wicket.” The 43-year-old Vettori, a veteran of 113 Tests, said that when players like Travis Head, Steve Smith and South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne applied themselves, they were able to score runs.
Head and Smith scored 92 and 36 respectively in the first innings, while Verreynne struck a patient 64.
“It was definitely amplified because of the standard of the bowling. People talk about these two attacks being potentially the best in the world.
“And the wicket did a lot. But I think we saw through Travis Head’s innings, Steve Smith and (Kyle) Verreynne if you got in you could score on it,” added Vettori.
The second Test against South Africa will begin on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Source: PTI News
