Overview:
Gavaskar pointed out the treatment often given to pitches in the sub-continent.
Australia and England will continue their Ashes rivalry in the second Test in Brisbane on December 4. The opening encounter of the 2025-26 series was completed in just two days. Nevertheless, the Perth Stadium pitch, where the first Test took place, earned the highest “very good” rating from the ICC, indicating the pitch had “good carry, limited seam movement, and steady bounce early in the match.”
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar criticized the Ashes pitch, especially in view of Australia batter Usman Khawaja‘s remarks about the surface.
“Ranjan Madugalle has served as the chief match referee on the ICC’s referees panel for more than twenty years. The former elegant Sri Lankan middle-order batter is known for his ever-present smile and delightful sense of humor. As the ICC’s first choice for high-profile series and event finals, he brings a balanced approach, combining fairness and firmness without being overbearing. Having played at the top level, he has a deep understanding of the pressures and mindset of cricketers,” Gavaskar wrote in Sportstar.
“That’s why he sometimes lets things slide that other referees might penalize players for. His approachable nature, combined with this, has made him highly popular among players from nearly every team he has officiated. So, if he has given the Perth pitch a ‘very good’ rating, it’s unlikely that many in the cricketing world would dispute it,” he added.
“One person who disagrees with that rating is Usman Khawaja, and unlike many of the outraged voices from the sub-continent who weren’t even present, he actually played in the match. Khawaja described the pitch as a ‘piece of shit.’ He pointed out that the fact 19 wickets fell on day one and around 20 players were struck by the ball spoke volumes about the conditions. He also mentioned that seeing Steve Smith, whom he considers the best cricketer he’s ever played with, miss the ball and get hit on the elbow, led him to make his blunt assessment of the wicket on day one.”
Gavaskar pointed out the treatment often given to pitches in the sub-continent.
“Khawaja seems to have avoided criticism from Cricket Australia for now, but if he fails to score runs in the Gabba Test, it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets dropped from the team. Australia now has another opening option in Travis Head, whose unconventional century led them to an easy win. Although 13 wickets fell on day two as well, that century made it impossible for anyone to call the pitch ‘shit.’ The knock wasn’t built on traditional Test match strokes and was more in line with white-ball cricket, but no one’s complaining—certainly not the old powers,” Gavaskar added.
“Their belief that a pitch with bounce and potential danger is never considered bad, but a pitch that turns and keeps low is deemed a disgrace, sadly still persists, even among those in the sub-continent with complexed views. They’ll only rate a batter if he scores big on fast, bouncy pitches, yet a batter from their region will still be called great, even if he fails to score a century on sub-continent pitches,” Gavaskar explained.