You might have watched commentators inspecting the pitch before the game starts. They describe it in detail. But, do you understand what are they talking about? Well, we are here to discuss all the different types of cricket pitches and how you can understand their behavior. After reading the post till its end, you will never worry about what a spinning pitch means and how a flat pitch impacts the game.
Different types of cricket pitches
Green pitch
You can easily identify a green pitch. The clue is its name. A green pitch comprises more grasses, which last for more than five days. But, they wear down during tests. Therefore, it helps the fast bowlers initially. But, afterward, it suits the sin bowling.
A green pitch is helpful for the bowlers, but it’s not bad for the batters. Once the ball loses its shine, the contest between the bowling and batting unit becomes interesting.
Flat pitch
A flat pitch generally favors the batters. So, if the surface is flat and the batters have a plan, then be ready for some big scores. The flat pitches are a bit soft, and there is not much grass to suit the pacers or spinners.
The batters like flat track pitches because they can easily guess the bounce. If the batter is in good form, he/she can score high without too many challenges.
Dry pitch
The weather plays an important role to determine pitch behavior. A dry pitch is generally available in regions with low or no rainfall. These pitches crack as the game unfolds, which helps the bowlers. The spinners can get some breakthroughs once the surface opens up.
The dry pitches are favorable for the bowlers, but it also helps the batters to score well. The ball comes nicely on the bat on a dry pitch. The spinners can be dangerous only if the ball lands on any one of the cracks. The spin bowlers can also get benefits from extra rough areas.
Wet pitch
You might have heard the term, sticky wicket. It’s generally used by the commentators. Wet or sticky pitches are generally a result of failed covers or too much humidity. A cricket fixture is canceled if the pitch has significant moisture content.
Playing on a wet pitch could be a nightmare for the batters because such a surface favors pace bowlers by providing them unpredictable bounce. Hence, the fast bowling attack can easily yield multiple wickets. In other words, the wet pitches are unpredictable, and hence, it helps the pace bowlers.
Dry and dusty pitch
An unrolled pitch turns dry. Plus, they have a layer of dust. However, these pitches are a bit soft and hence, help the bowlers. The soft surface suits spin bowling because it helps the spinners to deceive their deliveries. However, a fast bowler cannot take much advantage of a dry surface.
Dead pitch
A dead pitch does not have moisture or grass. Hence, such a surface never allows the bowlers to take a lot of wickets. Therefore, a dead pitch might suit one-day internationals and T20s where the audience wants to see some boundaries. But, it might not be appropriate for the tests.
How to read a cricket pitch?
You can reach the pitch by judging three factors: amount of grass, moisture content, and compaction. Understanding the pitch’s behavior is crucial for the team and batting order because it’s one of the determining factors of the result. The pitch also helps the team’s captain to pick batting or bowling first.
Let’s start with the amount of grass. If the pitch is covered with dense grasses, it is helpful for the bowlers. So, it’s better to ask the opposition to bat if you win the toss. Similarly, a dry and dusty pitch is also helpful for the bowlers. Hence, you can choose bowling if you win the toss on a dry surface. If your unit has some skilled spinners, they might pick several wickets.
Then, you should check the moisture content. If you notice a wet surface, then bowling first is better. Review the weather forecast to know whether the surface will remain wet or dry till the second inning.
On the other hand, if the pitch has minimal moisture or the moisture level is low, it will favor the batters. So, you have to think about whether bowl or bat first.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What type of pitches is suitable for spin bowling?
Dry pitches are perfect for spinners because most of them support spin-bowling. A deteriorated pitch generates uncertain bounce. In addition, it provides more grip, which helps the spinners to get some wickets.
Which pitches are suitable for pace bowlers?
Pacers like green pitches. The grasses help them to generate pace and even swings. If the fast bowlers get the required pace and skids, they can get multiple breakthroughs for their team.
Which pitches are helpful for the batters?
Flat pitches are suitable for the batters. A flat surface ensures you can see some spectacular shots from in-form batters. Hence, such pitches are perfect for twenty-twenty and even one-day internationals. The audience love to cheer their favorite batter, especially after seeing some boundaries.
Why it’s important to understand the pitch?
Knowing the pitch is crucial for batting and bowling units so that they can understand whether the bowlers are getting some advantages or the batters will enjoy their innings. Their respective captains use this information to create the bowling strategy and even changes the batting order. Apart from that, the gamblers take advantage after knowing how the pitch can behave. The pitch information helps them to predict correctly.
Why Indian cricket pitches are slow?
Weather determines the nature of a pitch and it’s one of the primary reasons why Indian cricket surfaces are dry and slow. The climate in most of the Indian regions is hot and dry, which often leads to a dry pitch. Hence, Indian pitches favor spinners more than pace-bowlers.
Who decides the kind of pitch?
Every national cricket team has the advantage of playing at their home grounds. However, the curators decide the pitch. They create the surface as per the format. The host national team’s captain can tell the curator about their requirements. But, the home team cannot force the curator.
Closing thoughts
We hope now you know the basics of the cricket pitches. You should be aware of the conditions. No matter whether you are a cricketer, follower, or gambler, you can enjoy the game even more after knowing the pitch’s behavior. So, try your knowledge in the next cricket fixture and see if you understood the pitch correctly.
Mayank Chowdhary is a professional cricket player in domestic cricket in India. He is very passionate about cricket and knows ins and out of cricket betting. With this long experience, now he has decided to share his experience with other cricket lover like you. Know more at the about me page.