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Published 11:19 IST, February 22nd 2021

Rohit Sharma takes dig at 'Experts' for pitch complaints, Michael Vaughan likes video

Ahead of the India vs England 3rd Test, Rohit Sharma hit back at experts and critics who are unnecessarily making a fuss about the Chennai pitches recently.

Reported by: Jatin Malu
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Rohit Sharma
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There has been a lot of brouhaha over the pitch used for the second Test between India and England in Chennai with a number of former cricketers slamming the surface. While India dominated the proceedings in the second Test, several veterans of the game jumped to blame the pitch for England's dismal performance with the bat at the Chepauk.

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Rohit Sharma slams critics for complaining about Chennai pitches

Former Australia cricketer Mark Waugh criticized 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, former England captain Michael Vaughan also lambasted the Chepauk pitch and termed the surface as a 'beach.'

Mark Waugh and Michael Vaughan's criticism of the pitch didn't go down well with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar as he questioned the England players' skills. Gavaskar also took a sly dig at critics who are complaining about the Chennai wicket. The Indian veteran opined that one who wants to play only straight balls without any spin can play at an indoor or on the astroturf cricket pitch where the ball will only come on straight to the bat.

Ahead of the India vs England next match, Rohit Sharma was addressing the media where he spoke in length about a plethora of topics. The Indian opener also hit back at critics who are unnecessarily making a fuss about the pitch used in Chennai Tests In a video uploaded by the official Twitter handle of the BCCI, a frustrated Rohit said that the pitch is the same for both teams which is why he doesn't understand the unnecessary fuss made about it.

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Taking a shot at the critics, Rohit added the ones who claim that the surfaces shouldn't be made like they were in the Chennai Test should realise that Indian pitches have always been like this and there hasn't been any change. Rohit further said that every team takes advantage of their home conditions. According to the veteran batsman, none of the teams think about them, then why should they think about the visiting team.

Rohit pointed out that the whole point of having a home/away advantage is to make pitches according to the home side's preference. Further taking a jibe at the fault-finders, Rohit reckoned that if there's so much outcry over the pitches, the home/away advantage should be eliminated and a rule should be made by the ICC where a particular kind of pitch should be curated in both home and away games.

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Rohit opined that when they tour other countries, the hosting team also make their lives difficult by creating pitches as per their preference. In the end, the 33-year old stated that there's no need to have so much discussion surrounding pitches. According to Rohit, the discussion should be about the game, players and their performances which is understandable but there shouldn't be so much talk about the pitch because both teams play on the same pitch and the side that plays better cricket ends up winning the match.

Meanwhile, according to the India vs England schedule, the India vs England 3rd Test will commence on February 24 at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Ahmedabad Test is one of the most-anticipated games of India's home season, primarily for two reasons. It will not only be India's annual pink-ball Test but also the first game to be played at the newly-constructed world's largest cricket stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad.

The live streaming of India vs England next match will commence at 2:30 PM (IST). The India vs England 3rd Test will broadcast live on television on Star Sports Network's Star Sports 1 SD & HD and 1 Hindi SD and HD channels. The India vs England live streaming for the entire series will also be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. The India vs England live scores and updates can be found on the websites and social media handles of BCCI and England Cricket.

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SOURCE: BCCI TWITTER

Updated 12:06 IST, February 22nd 2021