"Pitch not up to standard": Sikandar Raza after Zimbabwe's loss to India in first T20I
Harare, July 23
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza criticised the pitch after his side suffered a seven-wicket defeat to India in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, saying the conditions made batting difficult, particularly with the new ball.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Raza said moisture on the surface remained for longer than expected and the movement off the deck made it challenging for the batters.
"Again, not up to the standard I think. In the morning, I think that moisture certainly played a part, but I didn't think it was going to play a part for that long. I thought it remained tough with the new ball," Raza said.
"Unfortunately, we didn't hit many boundaries up front as well, so the ball stayed new, and because of that, I felt the movement off the deck made batting even tougher," he added.
Comparing the conditions with Zimbabwe's recent ODI series against Bangladesh, Raza said the moisture had a longer impact during that series, while Thursday's pitch became easier to bat on when India began their chase.
"I thought during the Bangladesh ODI series, there was a lot of moisture, and it remained there for a long time. Whereas today, I thought the moisture was there for the first eight to ten or even 12 overs, and apart from that, when India came out to bat, the wicket was very true," he said.
Raza also expressed hope that the pitch would offer more balanced conditions in the next game, regardless of which team wins the toss.
"So, hopefully we get a better wicket for the next game so that even when we lose the toss, it doesn't play too big a part," he added.
Zimbabwe, after being reduced to 32/4, recovered to post 125/7, with Wesley Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani playing key roles in rebuilding the innings.
Raza praised the duo for their partnership and said their effort was one of the positives for Zimbabwe despite the defeat.
"Yes, definitely. That's one of the positives. Marumani and Madhevere - it's a new role as well. I thought they batted really well to give us some sort of a respectable total. We'll take that as a positive, and hopefully the other guys can chip in as well so that we can put up a competitive total if we bat first," he said.
India chased down the 126-run target in 13.2 overs, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashing a record-breaking 18-ball half-century, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
— ANI
Reader Comments
To be fair, Raza makes a valid point about moisture. Even in Indian domestic cricket, we've seen how tricky pitches can be early morning in places like Dharamsala or Mohali. But credit to India - Vaibhav's 18-ball fifty was something else! What a talent. Zimbabwe need to learn from this and come back stronger in the second T20I.
Respectful disagreement here. Raza is a class player but this sounds like sour grapes. India's bowling attack was disciplined - Mukesh, Avesh and the spinners all did their job. When India batted, the pitch looked perfectly fine. Maybe the problem is Zimbabwe's batting approach, especially in the powerplay. They need to show more intent. 🤔
As an Indian fan, I think Raza has a point. The pitch did seem to get better as the match went on - that's often the case in day games with morning moisture. But that's part of Test/T20 cricket, you adapt. The real issue was Zimbabwe's top-order collapse. Madhevere and Marumani showed fight, but 32/4 is just not acceptable at international level. Hoping for a better contest in the next match!
I appreciate Raza being honest about the conditions. Many captains just give diplomatic answers. The pitch clearly had assistance for bowlers early on, but India's bowlers used it better - simple as that. Zimbabwe need to find a way to combat the new ball. On the positive side, their lower middle order showed character. Looking forward to the second match where hopefully both teams get a fair surface. 🇿🇼🇮🇳
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.