Don’t blame pitches for Australia’s woes in Ashes series: Gabba curator

BRISBANE - Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell insists that the pitches on offer for the Ashes series are not responsible for the Ricky Ponting-led Australian team’s woes.

The pitch for the Brisbane Test had produced 624 runs for the loss of just two wickets on the last two days of the match, but Mitchell reckons the figures were due to dominant batting, rather than the pitch.

“I thought the ball was still coming through and the keeper was taking it above his chest at times,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mitchell, as saying.

“To me there’s still bounce there, but it was playing fairly truly. I just think the batters are on top at the moment,” he added.

Mitchell said that this year’s pitch was not that different to the one used in the past 20 years.

“Probably in Brisbane’s case this year we didn’t have the heat to probably deteriorate the wicket as much as it normally did with regards to the footmarks,” he said.

In the past 20 years there have been only five drawn Tests at the Gabba.

He further said it was too early to criticize the Adelaide pitch. (ANI)