Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Gavaskar Slams Mackay Pitch After Australia-Bangladesh Test Ends Early
Australia beat Bangladesh by a large margin in a Test match at Mackay.
The win tied the series between the two teams.
The match finished very quickly, after only 650 balls.
It was the second-shortest Test ever played in Australia.
It was also the fourth-shortest Test match overall.
Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets for Australia.
Sunil Gavaskar said the pitch bounced too much and made batting very difficult.
He also said Australian pitches are not criticized as much when they cause short matches.
Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test at Mackay.
The victory leveled the Test series between Australia and Bangladesh.
Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets as Australia secured the win.
The match ended after 650 balls, making it Australia’s second-shortest Test and the fourth-shortest overall.
Sunil Gavaskar criticized the pitch for producing excessive, difficult-to-handle bounce and questioned differing standards for Australian venues.
- Who
- Australia, Bangladesh, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
- What
- Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test, while Gavaskar criticized the Mackay pitch.
- When
- The match ended earlier this week; no specific date is provided.
- Where
- Mackay, Australia.
- Why
- Australia won after Bangladesh struggled against the pitch conditions, which Gavaskar said produced excessive bounce and made batting difficult.
Gavaskar’s criticism
Possible pitch defenses
Reason for the short match
Gavaskar’s criticism
Gavaskar argued that the pitch’s trampoline-like, excessive bounce contributed to the match ending quickly and made it difficult for batters to build partnerships.
Possible pitch defenses
Possible explanations cited by Gavaskar include a groundsman leaving extra grass because of a weather forecast or batters lacking the technique to handle the bounce.
Assessment of batting
Gavaskar’s criticism
Gavaskar said the pitch could not be excused simply by blaming the batters because Australia’s own batters also failed to produce substantial runs or partnerships.
Possible pitch defenses
A counterargument mentioned in Gavaskar’s column is that batters may not have had the technique required to cope with the bounce; the article does not report a separate response from Australian officials.
Standards for Australian pitches
Gavaskar’s criticism
Gavaskar said similar short Tests in Australia have not received the criticism often directed at pitches elsewhere, calling that inconsistent treatment hypocrisy.
Possible pitch defenses
The article reports no direct defense of Australian pitch standards, but notes that pitch preparation and batting ability could be offered as alternative explanations.
- Result
- Australia won by an innings and 51 runs.
- Series impact
- The victory leveled the Test series between Australia and Bangladesh.
- Leading bowler
- Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match.
- Match length
- The Test ended after 650 balls.
- Historical ranking
- It was the second-shortest Test played in Australia and the fourth-shortest Test overall.
- Critic
- Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar criticized the pitch in a Sportstar column.
- Main concern
- Gavaskar said excessive bounce made batting difficult and questioned the lack of criticism directed at Australian pitches.