After suffering heavy defeats at the hands of India, South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has suggested that he “won’t mind” if the practice of toss is gotten rid of in Test cricket.
“[If toss is gotten rid of] then away teams have a better chance. In South Africa, I don’t mind that. We bat on green tops anyway,” Du Plessis was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
The reason behind his comments could be sourced from the fact that the South African lost all the three tosses in series against India. The hapless Du Plessis had even sent a ‘proxy captain’ in the form of Temba Bavuna for the toss in the third Test.
However, the idea of scrapping the the practice of toss hasn’t appeared for the first time. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have done way with the system in their domestic first-class matches and last year the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also trialled the idea.
The alternative chosen has been to give the away team the option to either bat or bowl first. The reason behind choosing this option was to take the home advantage away from the hosting team. Reportedly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also toying with the idea.
India have now won 11 consecutive home Test series, a testament of how dominant they have been in their known conditions. Du Plessis even gave a reflection of India’s playing pattern which he believed is their success mantra.
“Every Test match, they bat first, they score 500, they declare when it’s dark, they get three wickets when it’s dark and when day three starts, you’re under pressure. It was like copy and paste in every Test match,” he added.