The 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final between England and India is reportedly going to be played on a used pitch at the Adelaide Oval, raising concerns whether a sluggish surface will affect the quality of cricket for the knockout game.
A day after Pakistan take on New Zealand to decide the first finalist in Sydney, England will face India at the Adelaide Oval, a ground that has, so far, hosted six games in the tournament. The Super 12 stage began on October 21, but it wasn’t until November 2 that Adelaide hosted its first game. A total of seven venues have been used for the tournament so far [including the First Round], and Adelaide’s average runs-per-over figure stands at 7.73, the fourth-best.
The six games in Adelaide have been played as three double-headers on three days, with the ground hosting two games on each of November 2, 4 and 6. After a four-day gap, the Adelaide Oval will be hosting the semi-final, which, according to the Daily Mail and other outlets, will be played on a used pitch.
Extraordinary to hear that England's World Cup semi-final against India at the Adelaide Oval is going to be played on a used pitch. This is supposed to be a global tournament. Can't even prepare a fresh one for a big game like this….
— Paul Newman (@Paul_Newman66) November 8, 2022
Of late, matches of different formats involving teams from England and India have garnered criticism for being played on used pitches. Last year, the historical one-off Test between England Women and India Women was played on a used surface in Bristol, a week after a men’s T20 Blast game was played on the same pitch.
A little further back – in 2017 – during the Champions Trophy, England played the semi-final on a used pitch against Pakistan. The then England captain Eoin Morgan had pointed fingers at the surface after their loss, saying it was “too much of an ask to adjust to the pace and bounce” in Cardiff and that “there was no home advantage”.
A used pitch could make run-scoring relatively difficult at the Adelaide Oval, which has seen six 150+ scores in 12 innings at the ground so far. In the last two games, South Africa failed to cross 150 in their chase of 159 against the Netherlands, while Bangladesh could only manage 127 in their first innings against Pakistan. There are fears that a used surface presents a danger of diluting the quality of a highly-anticipated game between two batting powerhouses. Spinners and seamers who bowl cutters could end up getting assistance off the pitch, and the toss could become a bigger factor going into the game.
England are yet to play a game in Adelaide in this tournament, while India beat Bangladesh by 33 runs [DLS method] in a rain-affected game last week.
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