Virat Kohli hits out at England over pitch controversy; netizens laud captain's attitude

Indian captain Virat Kohli hit back at critics for blaming the Ahmedabad pitch for England's loss in the third Test. With the third Test getting done and dusted inside two days, the surface used in Ahmedabad had garnered criticism galore. The last few days have seen a major discussion being sparked about the nature of the Ahmedabad pitch, with several former cricketers like Michael Vaughan, David Lloyd and Shoaib Akhtar among others deeming it 'unfit' for Test cricket.

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Virat Kohli slams Ahmedabad pitch critics, garners support from fans

While addressing the media ahead of the India vs England 4th Test, Kohli lashed out at critics of spin-friendly pitches and remarked that there was 'too much noise' over the wickets in the subcontinent. Kohli also provided lessons on how to bat on spin-friendly tracks ahead of the fourth and final India-England Test which begins on Thursday. 

Kohli said that there is always too much noise and too much conversation about spin tracks. He added that if Indian media is in a space to contradict those views or present views which say that it is unfair to criticise only spin tracks, then it will be a balanced conversation. However, Kohli reckoned that the unfortunate bit is everyone plays along with that narrative (spinning tracks) and keeps making it news till the time it is relevant. The Indian skipper further said that if a Test match finishes on Day 4 or 5, no one says anything but if it finishes in two days, everyone pounces on the same issue.

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Kohli also cited the example of India's defeat against New Zealand in 2020 when the game was finished within 3 days after playing just 36 overs. The premier batsman highlighted the double standards as no one had then raised questions over the pitches. Kohli also threw weight behind Team India as he pointed out the resilience and fighting spirit shown by the team which had also led to their success, without 'cribbing', taking a direct shot at England. He also claimed that the team does not need any incentive to play Test cricket, making the World Test Championship final more of an outcome of good cricket rather than something to worry about.

Kohli's comments went viral in no time as fans responded to the same in huge numbers. Several reactions poured in as netizens resonated with the India captain and backed his comments and lauded his attitude. Here's a look at a few reactions. 

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India vs England live score update

Having won the toss, England skipper Joe Root decided to bat first. India made one change as Mohammed Siraj replaced Jasprit Bumrah whereas England made two changes with Dom Bess and Dan Lawrence replacing Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad. At the time of publishing this article, England's scoreboard read 74/3 at Lunch on Day 1 with openers Crawley (9), Sibley (2) and Root (5) back in the hut. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes are at the crease batting on 28 and 24 respectively. The hosts will look to cash in on the early breakthroughs and restrict England to a low score while the visitors will look to take advantage of the toss and post a big total.

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SOURCE: BCCI.TV