When it comes to pitches, ideology, not fact, is often king.
The recent battle royale between India and Australia provided some of the most absorbing cricket we've seen for some time. As with any great drama, beneath the epic clash of tactics, skill and technique sat a circus of sub-plots, circumstance and intrigue which, as unpalatable as some of it seemed, is a naturally occurring phenomenon within the modern sporting theatre.
Central to it all was conjecture over the state of pitches. You could barely draw breath before another hot take bellowed about either the preparation or performance of each pitch, especially early in the series.