Harbhajan Slams India's 'Lottery' Pitches

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has voiced serious concerns over India's recent Test series defeats, attributing them to the team's long-standing practice of preparing overly challenging home pitches. He asserted that the current generation of players lacks the fundamental skills required for prolonged five-day matches, a direct consequence of consistently playing on surfaces designed for quick results. Singh highlighted how these doctored wickets have negatively impacted the batting averages of prominent players like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane. He controversially suggested that teams have become accustomed to such conditions, leading to 'lottery-type' match outcomes where luck, rather than skill, dictates the winner, as seen in the recent series against South Africa. Advocating for a significant shift in approach, Singh implored the team management to abandon the practice of preparing extreme pitches. He stressed that reverting to better, more balanced wickets is crucial for nurturing future generations of Indian cricketers and restoring the integrity and competitiveness of Test cricket in the country.