'Hidden devils in the pitch': Gavaskar accuses Australia of hypocrisy over Mackay pitch

Sunil Gavaskar has accused Australia of applying a double standard when judging pitches, hitting out at the surface used for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay after the match finished inside just two and a half days.

"Nobody says the same when the overseas batters can't play the spinning ball. Then there's no lack of ability but hidden devils in the pitch," Gavaskar wrote in a column for The Hindu, contrasting how failures on Australian pitches and subcontinental pitches are described so differently.

The Indian legend called the double standard "brazen hypocrisy," pointing out that four Tests in Australia have ended within two days in recent years without drawing anywhere near the scrutiny reserved for similar results in India.

"If a game finishes in three days in India, there will be all kinds of derogatory reports and insinuations made about the pitches, BCCI and Indian cricket," he wrote. "The hypocrisy is so brazen that it is simply mind-boggling. The visual excuse of ineptitude against fast bowling will be brought out."

He argued that the explanations offered for quick finishes change entirely depending on where they happen. Groundsmen in Australia, he said, are often excused for leaving extra grass on pitches due to weather forecasts, with the resulting bounce blamed on batting technique rather than the surface itself.

Gavaskar questioned why that same leniency does not extend to home batters in Australia when they also fail to build partnerships or score runs, arguing the pitch itself is rarely put under the microscope in those cases.

He also pointed to an imbalance in how players are judged depending on conditions, suggesting batters who struggle on fast, bouncy pitches are quickly written off, while bowlers who fail to take wickets on slower surfaces still often escape criticism and retain their reputations.

The Mackay Test itself was a chaotic affair from the outset. Eighteen wickets fell on the opening day alone, with Mitchell Starc claiming five wickets in just 22 balls in the first innings before Shoriful Islam triggered an Australian collapse with six wickets, adding a seventh the following morning.

A further 12 wickets tumbled on day two, with Starc and Pat Cummins eventually bowling Bangladesh out for 94 to complete an innings victory. The match lasted just 750 balls in total, making it the second shortest Test ever played in Australia and the fourth shortest in the format's history.

Despite the brevity of the contest, Seven Cricket's chief reporter Tom Morris suggested the Great Barrier Reef Arena surface could still be rated "very good" by the match referee, a prospect that drew further frustration from Gavaskar.

He suggested match referees often seek approval from media in cricket's traditional powerhouse nations, adding he would not be surprised if the Mackay pitch escaped any negative rating altogether, and said he was now waiting to see what verdict is ultimately handed down.