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Former Pakistan cricket team coach Micky Arthur took to social media to express his thoughts about the pitches being used in the ongoing India vs England as well as the Australia vs West Indies series. Arthur praised the surfaces being used and commented that Test cricket can be ‘exciting’ if the pitches ‘slightly favours the bowlers’. “Test cricket gets so exciting to watch when you have pitches which slightly favours the bowlers instead of just flat lifeless ones!,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

While Arthur did not specifically address anyone in the social media post, several users were convinced that it was a dig at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). During the Test series against England at home in 2023, fans were not happy with the pitches with both teams scoring heaps of runs.

A similar pattern was seen once again when Australia travelled to Pakistan and even on that occasion, just 14 wickets fell in five days during the Test match in Rawalpindi. When it comes to batting, the 400-run mark was also breached by both sides several times during the three-match Test series.

Test cricket gets so exciting to watch when you have pitches which slightly favours the bowlers instead of just flat lifeless ones!#INDvsENG #AUSvWI

— Mickey Arthur (@Mickeyarthurcr1) January 26, 2024

Here are the reactions to Arthur’s view:

Arrow straight to the PCB

— Ash (@Ashsay_) January 26, 2024

Mickey owned PCB

— Max (@Max55855195) January 26, 2024

Cannot agree more. Test cricket is real cricket and is wonderful to watch when there is an even contest between bat and ball.

— S Harinath (@Harinath1961) January 26, 2024

Ollie Pope struck a defiant century to help England bounce back with a lead of 126 after their batting stutter against a persistent Indian attack in the opening Test on Saturday.

England’s second innings reached 316-6 at stumps on day three in Hyderabad with Pope (148) and Rehan Ahmed (16) at the crease.

India finished their first innings on 436 with a lead of 190 and had England in trouble at 163-5 when Pope anchored a 112-run stand with wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who made 34.

Pope reached his fifth Test ton and first against India with three runs off Ravindra Jadeja, removing his helmet and raising his bat to soak in the applause.

Pope dug in as he played back-and-forth sweeps to good effect, neutralising India’s forceful spin attack.

He survived one misjudged reverse sweep to backward point while on 110 when Axar Patel dropped the catch off Jadeja.

Axar’s left-arm spin dispatched Foakes to end the partnership but Pope made the day his own in a marathon knock featuring 17 boundaries.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets each.

(With AFP Inputs)