The 5 deadliest cricket pitches of all time

The cricket pitch has a major impact on the match being played on it. The nature of the pitch keeps on changing time by time depending on various factors. Majority of the ‘bat vs ball’ records depends upon the type and nature of the pitch.

When the pitch is greener and covered with some grass, it favours the batsmen as the ball comes nicely on to the bat. Whereas the same pitch can become a nightmare for batsmen if it has huge and wide cracks on it.

However, there have been several pitches in the world which were below the international standards and even caused deadly injuries while batting. The top 5 deadliest cricket pitches are as follows:

---

#5 Eden Gardens, Kolkata (1996)

The pitch at Eden Garden changed drastically during the 1996 World Cup

Eden Gardens hosted a match between India and Sri Lanka match during the 1996 ICC World Cup. The pitch played a massive role in Sri Lanka’s win in that match as India lost wickets in quick succession due to the uncertain turn and bounce.

It was a semifinal match of the World Cup between India and Sri Lanka in which the Lankans scored a decent 251 in the first inning. At the beginning of 2nd innings, the pitch was behaving well with India being in a strong position at 98/1 with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar at the crease.

But suddenly the pitch’s condition changed, making it difficult for the Indian batsmen to judge the direction of the ball. The unpredictable turn and bounce made the situation worse for the Indian team. However, the pitch played the role in favour of the Sri Lankan team as India suddenly cramped to 120/8, before crowd violence took over and India bowed out of the World Cup.

#4 Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (2006)

Brabourne stadium in Mumbai hosted few matches of 2006 Champions trophy

Mumbai is famous for conducting high profile cricket matches in the very famous Wankhede stadium. However, the Brabourne Stadium is also one of the main stadiums located in Mumbai where a few matches have taken place. It held few matches of the Champions Trophy which was held in the year 2006.

Along with the finals, various league stage matches were also played on this ground. But just after 2 league stage matches, the cracks on the pitch became wide and started growing. The cracks became so wide that it nearly seemed impossible for the second team to bat on that track.

However, due to the alertness of pitch curator, the matches were saved as Andy Atkinson, who was the pitch curator at that time, immediately found the solution of it. He sprayed the Polyvinyl Acetate which is a preventive ingredient to keep the cracks joint. Due to this technique, the next match of that Champions trophy was played here without any danger.

#3 Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi (2009)

Feroz Shah Kotla stadium of Delhi

Feroz Shah Kotla Ground was established in India in the year 1883 in Delhi. This ground conducted its first international match in the year 1948 as the West Indies were touring the country. This ground holds the record of being the second oldest cricket ground in India which is still functioning.

However, along with history, this ground also has some dangerous past connected with it. This danger reflects the match between India and Sri Lanka in the year 2009. In that match, the pitch conditions changed drastically creating some unplayable turn and bounce.

The conditions became so much worse that the match was forcefully called off as it was creating danger for batsmen.

The Sri Lankan team batting first somehow managed to score 83 runs at the loss of 5 wickets on this unplayable track. At this score, the match was called off under the decision of both the captains and Delhi Cricket Association.

#2 Sabina Park, Jamaica, West Indies (1998)

The test match between England and West Indies on Sabina cricket stadium was abandoned

The West Indian pitches were always known for their pace and bounce in the past. Out of all the grounds located in the West Indies, Sabina Park holds the history of having one of the deadliest cricket pitches.

The first match of the Test series in 1998 between England and West Indies was played at Sabina Park that witnessed quite a few dramatic scenes. The pitch on that ground became so wild that the ball started bouncing in an uneven manner. The situation became so much worse that the match was forced to be abandoned after 10.1 overs only.

The England team somehow scored 17 runs from that 10.1 overs by defending some deadliest bouncers from Ambrose and Walsh. The match was immediately called off due to this unexpected behaviour of the pitch.

#1 WACA, Perth (1997)

WACA pitch during a test between West Indies and Australia

WACA has been known for producing some of the best fast bowling pitches all around the world. However, this was not the case during the Australia and West Indies Test series in the year 1997.

The cracks on the pitch during the 5th Test of the series between the two great teams, Australia and West Indies grew very large. The cracks started expanding in both the directions making it one of the worst pitches to bat on.

At one stage, the bouncers bowled by Ian Bishop gained the height of more than 2 feet creating some unimaginable scenes. However, some deliveries even kept low nearing the height of 3 cm making it the toughest conditions for the batsmen. In the end, the Windies won the game by 10 wickets.

The Optus Stadium currently hosts the cricket matches in Perth in place of the WACA stadium.