Published 19:24 IST, February 21st 2021
Rohit Sharma shuts down critics whining over pitches after Team India's victory at Chepauk
Team India's swashbuckling opener Rohit Sharma on Sunday said that all teams across the globe prepare wickets to suit them and gain a home advantage.
Quashing the intense arguments over the turning Chepauk pitch and the surfaces in India, Rohit Sharma on Sunday said that all teams across the globe prepare wickets to suit them and gain a home advantage. The limited-overs vice-captain asserted that the pitch remains the same for both the teams and discussions should be on the performance rather than the wickets. Earlier, England skipper Joe Root had also admitted that the pitch had no part to play in their defeat in the second Test.
Addressing the press ahead of the third Test at Motera, Rohit Sharma said, "The pitch is the same for both the teams. I don't understand the discussion over this. Both the teams are playing on the same pitch yet people are discussing how the pitch should be. For years, pitches in India have been like this and I don't think there have been any changes or if there should be any changes. Every team uses the home advantage. When we go abroad, the same thing happens."
Hitting out at the critics, Rohit Sharma added that if people want to do away with the home and away advantage then one should ask ICC to set a standard pitch.
"Whatever is our team's preference, we should do it. This is what is the meaning of home and away advantage. Otherwise, we should remove this advantage and ask ICC to set a standard pitch in India and outside India. When we tour abroad, they make our lives difficult. I don't think there should be any discussion over pitches instead we should talk about the game and players," Sharma added.
Talk about cricket, not pitches: Rohit
Noise over Chepauk pitch
With India dominating the second Test against England, several veterans of the game had jumped to blame the pitch for England's dismal performance with the bat at the Chepauk. Former Australia cricketer Mark Waugh criticised the pitch at Chepauk, terming it 'unacceptable' at the Test level. The junior Waugh highlighted that it was not acceptable to have the ball going through the top of the surface on day 1 from the main part of the pitch.
On the other hand, spin maestro Shane Warne schooled Michael Vaughan as the latter blamed the pitch for India grabbing the advantage in the ongoing Test. Warne highlighted that the pitch has been the same since day 1 but England bowlers have failed to bowl brilliantly whereas Indian batsmen have been on top of their game. The duo engaged in a war of words on Twitter as they fought over the part of the pitch in the game.
Meanwhile, after the defeat in the second Test, England skipper Joe Root asserted that the pitch and the toss had no part to play in their defeat. The English skipper added that they had already anticipated the turning behaviour of the pitch and added that winning the toss wouldn't have guaranteed a win either. "The fact is that India have shown that you can score runs on it and have found a way of managing a very tricky surface so we've got to learn from that, add it to our own games and come back better for it," he said.
Updated 19:29 IST, February 21st 2021