You need to understand that the Dusty Pitches in Cricket are usually soft. It is covered with a good amount of dust. So it becomes a bowler’s favorite pitch as it favors spin bowlers a lot. However, on the other side, it is good for batting also. It is because of the pitch’s soft nature that the ball will bounce nicely.
Dusty pitches make it a challenging and unpredictable competition between the ball and bat. Hence it leans more favorably on the bowler’s side compared to the batsman. Especially it offers more flexibility and favor to spin bowlers. Therefore, it becomes difficult for batsmen to score runs in dusty pitches.
But still, you need to remember that cricketing quality depends on the player’s skill and strategy. Also, climatic conditions and match situations along with pitch form other factors affecting cricket quality.
If you are a person living in the UK, then it is obvious that you might have never seen dry and dusty pitches. Even during the summer, the temperatures don’t increase that high to cause pitch dryness.
I am sure you might have observed the test matches held in the subcontinent. We could see the dust flying as the ball made contact.
However, dusty pitches do not suit swing bowlers and quick bowlers.
But it is a spin bowler’s favorite because generally, dusty pitches come with a certain grip. It means that the ball contacts the pitch and deviates.
How does Dusty Pitches in Cricket form?
Dusty pitches are left unrolled and have a powdery covering of dust. Though it looks dry, it is softer, and a surface like this helps bowlers to spin the ball very nicely.
Spin bowlers can feel the advantage of dusty pitches as the gripping surface allows the ball to turn and deviate. Indeed, it is the Spin Bowler’s most necessary quality. Sometimes these dusty pitches in cricket can crush the game’s progress by making it tough for batsmen to face spinners.
If you observe the surface, it will be dusty and loose. The ball can grab the soil and a spinner can do wonders on such a pitch.
One of the major advantages is that a batsman cannot calculate the rotation angle and ball direction. Especially if a bowler spins the ball, it would become completely unpredictable. However, it depends on the batsman’s skill on how well he manages to face the ball. But still, in most cases, batsmen will not be able to hit the ball accurately because they will never know from which direction it will come.
Also, during the test matches, the flat track’s top surface gradually crushes and becomes powdery during the 4th and 5th days. Later it forms into a dusty track.
Subcontinent Dusty Pitches
It is said that subcontinent dusty pitches don’t have much grass. They are very dry and partially rolled. Hence, the pitch breaks easily and forms dust. However, the formed cracks and footmarks provide grip to spin bowlers.
Most of the time, such Dusty pitches are made up of Red soil as a majority. But Sometimes it is made with Black soil too.
The Pitch condition difference between the Indian subcontinent and Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, England, and South Africa depends on many factors. Like the soil, composition, climate, and other maintenances.
The pitches in the Indian subcontinent and the West Indies are dusty and dry and dusty because of the warm climate. This makes spin bowling great and favors spin bowlers.
These regions promote grass growth due to cool and damp climates. It allows bounce and pace to the fast bowlers.
However, many natural and man-made factors impact the pitch condition differences in these regions. Also, it leads to spin bowling suitability in a few regions and pace bowling in other regions.
Dusty Pitches in Cricket with Red Soil or Black Soil?
Certainly, there is more difference between Red Soil and Black Soil in Dusty Pitches. Dusy pitches with Black soil have more elasticity. Therefore it is long lasting because of more clay type content than red soil. Red soil has a very less elastic nature so it is short-lasting
However, Dusty pitches make a valuable advantage for the spin bowlers with soft and unrolled pitches. Indeed it becomes easy to bat as the ball bounces well and can be predictable for the batsman. Hence, you might observe the dusty cricket pitches mostly in subcontinents. Therefore, it becomes easy to score good runs. Batsman can play the deliveries easily due to the low-stay and that leads to good batting performance. Until he is facing the spin bowler
