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Batsmen struggle in Darwin
At the completion of day 2 in the test match between Sri Lanka and Australia nearly three innings had been completed. Batsmen of both teams struggled to make runs. Still the home team made twice as many as the visitors.

The seam bowlers got a lot of assistance on both days. The spinners were able to get deliveries to spin, some very sharply. The bounce was variable and unless pitched on half volley length, it was hard to dispatch, as the ball did not come on to the bat. Tough going for the batsmen who also in these conditions tend to give it away.

It's not possible to tell, watching the game on TV from thousands of miles away, but I felt the surface was over watered in preparing for this game. Darwin is located in the very dry part of Australia and so plenty of water is required to ensure the track does not crumble early. Even the grass coverage was minimal, so moisture should have been the cause for lateral movement and spin. The newspapers mentioned that Tony the curator of the MCG was tending to the pitch. He is very experienced, having been associated with the MCG for over thirty years, since his teenage days.

In another part of the world, the 'guru' hasn't got the recipe correct! Many people raise their eyebrows and the pundits cast criticism when a pitch turns and helps spinners early in a game. Such pitches can be so prepared to last the distance. During the last series between these two teams, the ball turned from day one, with results achieved on day five. Many centuries were scored by batsmen of both teams countering the two best spinners in the world. At different stages the pacemen also got into the act, in fact both teams were well served by their pacemen. That was most absorbing cricket. Here the batsmen are at the mercy of the pitch, and so, a regular procession to and from the pavilion was witnessed.

Why is there a game of test cricket going on in the middle of the Australian cricket season? A part of that country is experiencing winter. On the major test venues - Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart are all Australian Rules Football venues. The hallowed turfs will not have a blade of grass on them. "Super Sopper" machines will be driving around to keep the surface dry. Cricket would be hardly spoken of Yes, it is necessary because so many countries are now in the test arena.

Sri Lanka are touring "Down Under" for a test series after eight years and they have not got the chance to play on the major venues, during the cricket season. Bangladesh were the first team ever to play during this time of the year, now its Sri Lanka's turn. The second issue is having a two tiered structure for test cricket. Test cricket must be a test of the worlds top cricketers matched against each other. There must be a contest and the game must retain its attractiveness. A test match must be an event where players are eager to compete, spectators and followers eager to watch, sponsors eager to participate, the media eager to provide its best coverage - in short, something special.

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