Australia legends slam Gabba pitch after 34 wickets fall in two days

Australia icons Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden have slammed the state of the pitch at the Gabba for the first Test against South Africa.

Gabba pitch a real horror

The touring Proteas were knocked over for 152 on day one before Australia scrapped to a slender lead.

ALSO READ: Proteas skipper fingers pitch after two day humiliation

Australia again ran through the Proteas on day two and while the tourists made the modest chase difficult, the match was over on Sunday.

Ponting claims he has never seen a Gabba pitch presented so raw and green.

“I haven’t seen one as green,” Ponting said.

“Matthew Hayden played here more than me, and he hasn’t seen one as green and Justin Langer said he hasn’t seen one as green […] there was excessive seam movement. 

“These are very, very good bowling teams, no doubt, but I don’t think that the batting teams are that bad.”

Hayden, returning to a commentary stint after a spell with the Pakistan team, believes that the pitch wasn’t prepared properly and the result was a substandard Test.

“In my opinion, it started too green,” he said. 

“And that’s from someone who has seen this [pitch] from a very young age.

“There is no need to make it so full of grass, such heavy grass content. Because it seamed too much,” Hayden added.

Groundsman admits surface wasn’t good enough

Gabba groundsman David Sandurski has since admitted the surface in Brisbane was not up to Test standard.

“The proof is in the pudding,’ Sandurski told News Corp. 

“The scorecards are there. You can’t deny it. It is obviously not good enough for a match of this magnitude. 

“I am obviously disappointed. No-one wants to have a two day Test. All the signs in the preparation pointed towards it being a reasonable wicket.”

The second Test in the three-match series gets underway on Boxing day at the MCG in Melbourne.