The Pakistani cricket fans were pretty happy as the Australian cricket team was visiting their country after a long gap of 24 years but all the excitement and enthusiasm got spoiled after the pitch in Rawalpindi test played the spoilsport.
The first test match of the 3-match test series started on March 4 and it was played at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. The toss was won by the hosts and they decided to bat first, the decision was proved correct by the Pakistani batsmen as they put up a total of 476/4 with Imam-ul-Haq (157) and Azhar Ali (185) hitting centuries. The Aussies also responded well and they also put up a score of 459 runs in their first innings. On the last day of the game, Pakistan batted the whole day and its batters put up a total of 252 runs without losing a wicket as both the openers Abdullah Shafique (136) and Imam-ul-Haq (111) scored centuries.
The pitch of the first test match offered no help to the pacers as well as to the spinners and only 14 wickets were taken in the entire 5 days of the test match because of which the match ended in a draw. This was certainly one of the most boring test matches ever played and it won’t be wrong to say that it is because of such test matches in which result does not come out, people are losing interest in the purest format of the game.
Cricket fans and the former cricketers are pretty disappointed with the quality of the pitch of the first test match that can easily be called a dead pitch. Cricket fans expressed their opinion on the micro-blogging site Twitter and here are some of the selected reactions:
#1
https://twitter.com/Backbencher001/status/1501160797757906944
#2
Help this boy 😁 #PAKvsAUS pic.twitter.com/AGvX9K4yp1
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) March 7, 2022
#3
https://twitter.com/th3r2pyy/status/1501142200239165440
#4
Curator sacrificing the result of historic test for this pitch #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/wfKuq0NpB6
— 𝓢𝓮𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓱 🇵🇰 (@itsmeSehrish) March 8, 2022
#5
Imam Ul Haq to pitch curator#AUSvsPAK #PAKvAUS #Cricket pic.twitter.com/HfyjKRv54b
— Arnav Singh (@Arnavv43) March 8, 2022
#6
Poor Fawad Alam who didn't get an opportunity to bat on this flat pitch #AUSvsPAK #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/r7YbjjYP0Q
— Arnav Singh (@Arnavv43) March 8, 2022
#7
There's hardly any deterioration on the pitch. How do you make a game out of it without committing harakiri?
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) March 8, 2022
#8
Australia wale ab galty se bhi agla tour ni krenge pakistan ka …
For sure pathetic pitch ..
Ye batsman jo pura sal struggle krte hai aaj dono innigs me 100 mar ra 🔋😬😁😁
Curator ko road highway ka contract dena pdega— rahul (@ashishsmith6) March 8, 2022
#9
don't mind good batting pitches (to a certain extent) in a bowler friendly era but this one in pindi has led to some mind numbing boring cricket ! #PAKvAUS
— Tony Steele (@tds122) March 8, 2022
#10
Pretty much.#PAKvAUS #PAKvsAUS pic.twitter.com/ikkuQfxfU4
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) March 7, 2022
#11
This is the worst pitch I can remember of.
Even worse than Melbourne 2017.
Ek din ki pitch bnao you'll have full support but this is pathetic.— S.R. (@SR_9220) March 8, 2022
#12
Finding test cricket boring series like ind vs sl..sl getting hammered and aus vs pak dead flat pitch in first test mazzaa nahi aa raha hai
— Suraj Raheja (@_CricketFreak_) March 6, 2022
The second test match between Australia and Pakistan will be played at National Stadium, Karachi, starting March 12 and other than the three test match series, Australia and Pakistan will also play 3 ODIs and 1 T20I.
