AB de Villiers, the South African cricket legend, has expressed a differing opinion on the much-debated Cape Town pitch, referring to it as “pretty stock-standard.” This comes in response to Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s strong critique of the track, where the second Test between India and South Africa concluded in just five sessions, marking the shortest-ever Test match in cricket history.
While Rohit Sharma voiced his dissatisfaction with the pitch, AB de Villiers, in a statement on his YouTube channel, described the wicket as “pretty stock-standard.” He reminisced about past matches at Cape Town, emphasizing that overcoming the challenges of the first session on Day 1 made batting easier.
The Test match witnessed a total of 33 wickets falling in 107 overs. South Africa struggled in the opening session, posting only 55 runs, with Mohammed Siraj claiming a six-wicket haul. India faced their own challenges, losing six wickets in nine balls without adding a run. The match, marred by batting collapses, raised concerns about the pitch quality.
Despite Aiden Markram’s century, South Africa set a target of 79, which India successfully chased in 12 overs for the loss of three wickets, securing a seven-wicket win to level the series.
Rohit Sharma, after the victory, expressed his willingness to play on such pitches but criticized the double standards in pitch ratings by the ICC. He called for a more neutral approach in evaluating pitches, urging match referees to base their assessments on the actual playing conditions rather than the countries involved.