The duty of a captain isn’t limited to team decisions but he also has to assess the conditions along with careful analysis of the cricket pitch. A good captain and a player knows how to read a cricket pitch.
Why do captains are questioned about their decision after winning the toss? To understand the mindset and analysis a captain did merely according to conditions and pitch reading. A good decision at toss adds an extra boon for the team. Therefore, reading a cricket pitch becomes a paramount responsibility.
There are a plethora of factors to be kept in mind while reading a cricket pitch, for instance, grass amount on the pitch, pitch hardness, moisture content on the pitch, and many such.
Factors to a Cricket Pitch?
1) Damp or Dry pitch?
You might have heard cricket experts saying that the pitch is slow or the ball isn’t coming onto the bat properly. One of the reasons is a damp pitch which means excess moisture content on the pitch that slows down the ball. Thus, it’s hard for batters to find the ideal timing for the shot.
The trick to assess this: Rub your palm gently on the pitch surface and feel if there’s any moisture on your palm.
2) Amount of Grass Presence on Pitch
A positive indicator and a sigh of relief for bowlers when there is substantial grass present on the pitch surface. A captain needs to consider the color of the grass as well. A green grass depicts the moisture content and pitch might play slow due to dampness. On the contrary, brown-colored grass indicates that the pitch is hard and good for batting.
3) Determine Hardness Level of Pitch
It’s simple fact that the toughness of a pitch determines how good a ball will come onto the batter’s bat. A hard solid pitch offers bounce and speed enabling the batters to play timely shots. Although, an extra bounce may also trouble the batsmen as they might not be used to playing such bounce.
The trick to analyzing this factor: “Try pushing an object like a key in the surface and if it’s unable to go deep then the pitch can be considered hard.”
4) Existence of Any Open Crack
If a pitch has been used multiple times within a short span of time, then there may be cracks or footmarks of bowlers which are a threat for batting. As the game progress, these cracks open and favour the spinners. This plays a major role on the 4th & 5th day of a test match.
Therefore, everyone from cricket experts to support staff of a team to captains gave utter importance to pitch reading and a player who knows how to analyze the cricket pitch well stays ahead in the competition.
Also read: Smriti Mandhana’s Cricket Journey