Three-part documentary Allan Border: My Story premiers on Fox Cricket after day two of the Boxing Day Test on December 27.
Allan Border has blasted the biggest critics of the Gabba wicket as being “over the top”, declaring the strip wasn’t dangerous for batting in the rapid-fire first Test.
The Brisbane deck has come under heavy fire for producing the second-quickest completed Test ever on these shores, with a result between Australia and South Africa achieved in less than two full days.
It’s widely agreed that the green surface tilted the balance of the match too heavily towards two skilled bowling attacks considered among the best in the world.
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Indeed the Gabba was given a slap on the wrist with ICC match referee Richie Richardson handing down a ‘below average’ rating, and one demerit point, to the venue.
But some went further in their assessment, such as South Africa captain Dean Elgar who appeared to suggest post-game that the pitch might’ve been “unsafe” to bat on.
“I did ask the umpires when Kagi (Rabada) got hit out down leg, I said, ‘how long does it go on until it potentially is unsafe?’” Elgar said. “And then (Anrich) Nortje was bowling his short ones that were flying over our heads.”
He added: “You’ve gotta ask yourself the question, is that a good advertisement for our format?”
But having none of it is Australia legend Border, who spoke to foxsports.com.au ahead of the December 27 release of a three-part Fox Cricket documentary on his career.
“Some of the stuff that was talked about the pitch was over the top,” Border said.
“I mean, it wasn’t dangerous for a start. That is not a dangerous wicket.
“I can’t even remember anyone getting hit other than the normal state of affairs, on the thigh pad or on the gloves.
“They’re going on about those bouncers that went flying over (from Nortje) — that was just terrible bowling on a fast, bouncy track.”
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Border said he wasn’t defending the Gabba wicket, which he agreed “wasn’t very good” and favoured the bowlers too heavily.
But he said that the wicket was only “slightly wrong”, and warned the MCG groundskeepers of going too far in the other direction in response.
“We’ve all played on pitches like that (at the Gabba). It was just the quality of bowling was there and the batsmen never really held sway.
“Talking about it being dangerous is just not on. It wasn’t the case. It was difficult, but not dangerous.
“I’m not trying to justify it, but sometimes the rhetoric got a bit over the top about how bad it was. It was like it was the worst wicket ever produced.
“I just think, ‘give me a break’. It was difficult, but Travis Head didn’t have too much trouble on day one.”
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A total of 34 wickets fell inside two days with South Africa rolled for 152 and 99, while Australia lost four wickets in a chase of just 34.
Fifteen wides were handed to Australia in its chase with multiple balls shooting off the wicket and over the wicketkeeper.
However, no batters were dealt hefty body blows or knocks on the helmet with full-pitched deliveries doing the majority of the damage.
Border said that the failure of the top orders in surviving the new ball period was to blame for the cricket anomaly.
“It was one of those situations where the quality of bowling was very good and the ball did nip around, particularly the new ball,” he said. That was the difficulty, no one really survived the new ball attack.
“That’s always been the case at the Gabba, even in the best conditions there it offers something to the new ball. If you can get through that relatively unscathed it becomes a lot easier to bat on.
“But they never really got through that new ball period.”
