Shubman Gill Slams Flat England Pitches, Dukes Ball: 'There Is Nothing...'

Shubman Gill Slams Flat England Pitches, Dukes Ball: 'There Is Nothing...'

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Last Updated: July 07, 2025, 08:24 IST

Indian captain Shubman Gill has slammed the pitches and Dukes balls in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after India's 336-run win.

Shubman Gill is unhappy with the pitches and Dukes balls in England (Picture Credit: AP)

Indian captain Shubman Gill, despite securing a huge 336-run win over England in the second Test at Edgbaston, let his frustration be known about the quality of pitches and Dukes balls being used in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He declared that the tracks were offering ‘nothing’ for bowlers beyond the new ball, which was making the game defensive and changing the essence of Test cricket.

Runs have been flowing in this series. In the first match at Headingley, all four innings went past 350, while in the second, India scored over a thousand runs across their two innings. Apart from the pitches being flat, the Duke’s ball, used for decades in the UK, is going too soft, sometimes as early as 15-20 overs of an innings.

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Throughout the series, India has been seen complaining about it to the umpires, who for most occasions could only hand it back to them because they are not allowed to change it unless it’s out of shame.

“It is very difficult for the bowlers," Gill said in the post-match press conference, as quoted by PTI. “I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly. I don’t know what it is, whether it is wickets or whatever. It is difficult for the bowlers. It is very difficult to get a wicket in such conditions, when there is nothing there," he added.

“And as a team, when you know that it is difficult to get a wicket, when you know that it is difficult to get a wicket in such conditions, a lot of things are out of your control. There should be a little help for the bowlers. If the ball is doing something, then you can plan something in some way, and then it is fun to play. If you know that only the first 20 overs or something will happen, after that you are on the defensive all day, you are thinking all day about how to stop the runs. Then the essence of the game comes out of it," Gill said.

Gill has been a major beneficiary of this change in tracks as the top run-scorer with 585 runs at an average of 146.25. He further described the pitches as ‘friendly’ and ‘like in India’.

“Yes, like we play in India, most of them are friendly. It feels good to come here and get good pitches for a while (laughs)."

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The skipper anticipates England to offer a more sporty wicket at Lord’s from Thursday (July 10(.

“We will see what kind of wicket they are giving to the Lord’s. I don’t think they will give such a flat wicket. This is my feeling. But we will go there and take a decision and we will see what kind of wicket it is, what is the best possible combination," he added.

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First Published: July 07, 2025, 08:21 IST

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