Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
England captain Ben Stokes has expressed concerns over the quality of the Lord’s pitch used in the opening Test against New Zealand, warning that such surfaces do little to help the long-term future of Test cricket.
England secured a 115-run victory in the series opener, but the match was dominated by the bowlers from start to finish. The contest lasted just 166 completed overs, making it the second-shortest Test among the 150 played at Lord’s. Across both innings, the teams combined for only 617 runs, highlighting the difficulties batters faced throughout the match.
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ENG vs NZ, 1st Test Day 3: Highlights | Scorecard
The surface offered significant movement and uneven behaviour, resulting in a wicket falling every 25 deliveries. According to BBC statistics, it was the lowest balls-per-wicket ratio recorded in England since 1907. Of the 40 wickets to fall in the match, 24 came either bowled or lbw, underlining the challenges posed by the pitch.
Despite leading England to victory, Stokes admitted the conditions raised wider questions about the health of the longest format at a time when Test cricket is increasingly competing for attention with franchise-based T20 leagues around the world.
“I get asked a lot about the future of Test cricket and what we need to do to keep it growing,” Stokes said after the match.
“As someone who loves Test cricket, my one thing to say is: is this something that will benefit Test cricket going forward? I don’t think so.”
While the match stretched into the fourth day, that was largely due to rain washing out most of Day 3. Stokes suggested the game could have finished much earlier had the weather not intervened.
“If there wasn’t any rain, the game’s going to end early. Is that what we want to end up doing? You sort of want to find somewhere in the middle,” he said.
The England captain was quick to stress that his comments should not diminish the efforts of either side. England adapted better to the conditions and consistently found ways to score runs on a surface where batting looked increasingly difficult.
Stokes himself was a victim of the pitch’s unpredictability, dismissed for a three-ball duck in the second innings by New Zealand seamer Nathan Smith. Several batters from both teams appeared bemused by the movement on offer, with some visibly laughing after dismissals as they struggled to understand the behaviour of the ball.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham echoed Stokes’ sentiment, urging his side to move on from the unusual conditions at Lord’s ahead of the second Test at The Oval on June 17.
“I think it’s important we don’t delve too much into this game,” Latham said. “We understand we’ll go to The Oval and conditions will be a lot better than they have been here.”
With the series now moving to London for the second Test, both captains will be hoping for a more balanced contest between bat and ball.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
