Glenn McGrath praises quality of cricket in India-England series

CHENNAI: Glenn McGrath, Director of MRF Pace Foundation, was all praise for the ‘high’ quality Test cricket that both India and England have been dishing out in the five-match rubber with the series intriguingly poised on the second day of the fifth Test at The Oval.

The Australian legend was in the city as part of his annual coaching stint and shared his insights into a variety of facets of the game, ranging from pitches to Jasprit Bumrah’s longevity in the five-day format.

Excerpts:

Are you surprised by the pitches that England has rolled out?

Yeah, the series has been quite high scoring, which is a little unusual.

It’s been good, solid Test cricket. It’s been enjoyable. It’s close. I think this series and last series to me, India-Australia, England-India, I was worried that Test cricket was struggling a bit. But after watching those two series, I think Test cricket is alive and well, especially in those three countries. Obviously, they want the game to last as long as possible.

I don’t mind if the pitches are a little flat, as long as there’s something in it for the bowler.

And if the game’s going right down to the wire on the fifth day, then it’s perfect, isn’t it? Sometimes when we saw that last game in Manchester, there was a chance of a result but India batted well and held on.

So, I think it’s been good, solid Test cricket.

Are the flat pitches going to benefit Test cricket?

Depends on the game. If it’s flat, if it’s 800 versus 700, then it’s probably not going to be exciting because no one can win. There’s been quite a bit of emotion and feeling in this series, which I’m not against.

It shows that there’s still a lot of passion and energy and love for the game of Test cricket, and it means a lot to the players out there.

So, you don’t want a flat pitch that produces boring cricket. But you can’t say this series... there’s been some flat pitches, but it hasn’t been boring cricket.

Is there something that you notice in Bumrah which is different from other fast bowlers?

Oh, his whole action is different to a lot of fast bowlers. He’s got a slow run-up and the last few steps just accelerates him through the crease.

He’s got hyperextension, which is legal, and he’s just got a great wrist. So, there’s a lot that’s unique about him, but when he gets it right, it just all comes together well. He’s found what’s worked for him.

But, unfortunately, it’s pretty tough on his body.