Steve Smith, Joe Root and other batters advised to 'play it like Puji and Rahane' on challenging MCG-style pitches | Cricket
Home Robin Uthappa has offered a blunt read on the MCG Test surface: difficult, seam-friendly, but nowhere near unplayable. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he argued that wickets like these only look extreme because modern batting has drifted away from patience. “See, it’s a dichotomous situation. It’s not like it’s an impossible wicket. There are such wickets in Melbourne which are very juicy for fast bowlers… I think it’s because of the way cricket is played today. I feel like these pitches are unsporty, but if you have the right technique and the right mindset and the fight in you, you’ll be able to figure out a solution for this kind of a wicket also. It’s not a high-scoring game, but it’s not…It won’t be a 300-plus game, but even a 250 on this wicket is possible. You gotta fight it out. Play it like Puji and Ajinkya Rahane. Definitely, you’ll score runs,” said Robin Uthappa.
Published: January 1, 2026 1:37 pm
Source: Hindustan Times — Read original