Ahmedabad Pink Ball Test Ends in Two Days — Pitch Controversy

The 2021 India vs England series in India was already a high-stakes affair. England had won the first Test in Chennai and India had fought back to level the series and then take a 2-1 lead. The third Test at the newly renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — formerly Motera, now the world's largest cricket stadium — was designated as a day-night pink ball Test, a first for India in their home conditions.

The stadium had been massively redeveloped, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending its inauguration alongside then US President Donald Trump in early 2020. Its renaming was itself controversial in Indian political circles. Against this backdrop, a Test match of global significance was about to unfold on a pitch that would end up as one of the most controversial in recent Test history.

Axar Patel had been in devastating form in the series, exploiting turning pitches with his left-arm spin. Ravichandran Ashwin had also been excellent. England's batting against quality spin in challenging conditions had been a known weakness. What nobody anticipated, however, was how quickly the match would be over.

The preparation of the Ahmedabad pitch was immediately questioned once the match began. While some degree of turn was expected, the pitch turned sharply from the first day. Deliveries kept low, reared from rough, and behaved unpredictably. Both sets of batsmen struggled, but England's were comprehensively outclassed — their footwork and technique against slow bowling was inadequate for what the pitch demanded.

England were bowled out in their first innings for 112 — an already worrying total. India managed 145, with their own batters also struggling. Then came England's second innings: bowled out for 81, their lowest Test total in India. The match was effectively over in less than two days. India knocked off the small target without losing a wicket. Axar Patel's match figures of 11 wickets were remarkable, but the nature of the pitchhelped make many of his dismissals look straightforward.

The ICC match referee Javagal Srinath submitted a "below average" pitch report. This was significant — the ICC rarely rates pitches poorly, and a below average rating from the match referee of India's own former fast bowler carried additional weight.

The third Test of the 2021 India-England series was played at the newly rebuilt Narendra Modi Stadium (formerly Motera Stadium) in Ahmedabad as a day-night Test with a pink ball. The match ended in less than two days, with India winning by 10 wickets. England were bowled out for 112 and 81, while India managed 145 and 49/0. Axar Patel took 11 wickets in the match and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 7.

The pitch was the primary subject of debate. It turned sharply from the first session, making batting extremely difficult. Several England batsmen were dismissed by deliveries that turned prodigiously or kept low. The pitch received a "below average" rating from the ICC match referee. English pundits were furious, with Michael Vaughan and others calling the pitch "unacceptable" and saying it was "not a Test match pitch."

Indian commentators and former players pushed back strongly, accusing England of hypocrisy given their own history of preparing seaming pitches to exploit their pace attack. They noted that Indian batsmen also struggled and that the pink ball's extra lacquer contributed to the conditions. The debate exposed familiar fault lines between subcontinent nations who prepare spin-friendly pitches and SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries who favor pace. It also raised questions about the viability of pink ball Tests on subcontinental pitches and whether the ICC's pitch rating system adequately accounts for different playing styles.

“That was not a Test match pitch. That was a lottery. Both sides deserved better.”

“England prepared seaming pitches in 2021 for India's tour and nobody wrote articles saying it was wrong. Why the different standard?”

“Axar Patel on that pitch was unplayable. But it was too much. Even Axar himself wouldn't have expected those figures in those conditions.”

“The ICC giving it below average is the right call. Test cricket has to be better than this.”

The pitch rating led to an avalanche of commentary. English pundits were furious — Michael Vaughan, Nick Knight, and others accused the BCCI of preparing an unplayable surface that made a mockery of Test cricket. Indian commentators fired back, pointing to England's own preparation of pace-friendly pitches in English conditions and accusing the English media of applying different standards to spin than to seam.

The debate exposed one of cricket's persistent double standards: pitches prepared for pace bowling in England, Australia, and South Africa are generally accepted as fair, while pitches prepared for spin bowling in the subcontinent are frequently labelled as unplayable. The BCCI did not accept the criticism warmly, and the ICC's pitch rating system came under renewed scrutiny for its perceived inconsistency across different playing surfaces worldwide.

England went on to lose the four-match series 3-1. Joe Root's outstanding personal form — he scored nearly 600 runs in the series — provided some redemption but could not mask how poorly the team had performed collectively. England's subsequent hiring of new coaches and the beginning of the 'Bazball' era was partly a response to the realisation that their approach to spin bowling needed fundamental change.