Follow UsFormer India wicketkeeper-batter turned ace commentator, Dinesh Karthik, couldn’t hold back his surprise at the silence of the pitch critics after the first Test of the Ashes 2025-26 witnessed 19 wickets fall on Day 1.
The match between hosts Australia and visitors England saw the latter win the toss and elect to bat first at the Optus Stadium in Perth on November 21 (Friday).
Though the first three England wickets fell quite early, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook showed character and took the side to 160/5. However, they collapsed like a pack of cards from there and got bowled out for 172.
Australia, in reply, weren’t too different either and rather offered a meek surrender to the might of Ben Stokes, the bowler, ending their day at 123/9 with the biggest partnership being 45 and only three double-digit partnerships being registered in the innings.
Terming it rather unique, Karthik posted on X, asking why only spin-friendly wickets are criticised for being poor and unplayable, while fast bowlers picked 19 wickets in a single day and that too on Day 1 of a Test match.
Pitch was the talk of the town when India and South Africa played against each other in the first Test of the two-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Playing spin on that wicket in Kolkata was so difficult that none of the teams crossed the 200-mark even once and India were bowled out for 93, chasing 124 to win.