Published 20:16 IST, February 15th 2021
'We never complained of seaming tracks overseas': Axar thrashes critics of Chepauk pitch
Axar Patel asserted that India is also playing on the same pitch and are scoring runs, so there should not be any problems and provided insight on how to play
Thrashing the talk over the pitch at Chepauk, debutant Axar Patel on Monday remarked that those criticising the spin-friendly surface will have to change their 'mindset'. Highlighting that the Indian cricket team has never 'complained' of seaming tracks overseas, Patel asserted that the Men in Blue are also playing on the same pitch and are scoring runs, so there should not be any problems. Several former cricketers, including those from England, have criticised the pitch at Chepauk terming it as 'under-prepared'.
"If you are talking about pitch, I don't think any ball hit the helmet. There is normal spin on offer. We are playing on same track and scoring runs, so I don't think anyone should have any problems and feel that wicket is like this or that and so on and so forth," Axar Patel said after the end of play on Day 3.
"Also when we go overseas, we never complained while playing on seaming track and complained that there is more grass on the wicket. I think people need to change their mindset rather than thinking about the wicket," he added.
How to play at Chepauk?
Providing insights into how to play on the Chepauk pitch, the debutant said that since there is help for spinners on the wicket, so one does not need to do anything extra. One needs to hit the deck hard in order to make use of the turn on offer, he explained. "If you are releasing it slowly, there is not much help for the slow bowlers. So hitting the deck with a decent speed is important and that's creating difficulty for batsmen. If you bowl slow, then batsmen are moving to back foot and adjusting," the 27-year-old said.
Commenting on his exclusion from the first Test due to a niggle, Patel said that he had decided to skip the game as he did not want to put the team in 'trouble'. "Actually, I didn't want to play my first match with a niggle and if I broke down in the middle of the game, that would have put my team in trouble. It wouldn't have been a good thing and I didn't want that to happen," Axar said.
Noise over Chepauk pitch
With India dominating the second Test against England, several veterans of the game have jumped to blame the pitch for England's dismal performance with the bat at the Chepauk. Former Australia cricketer Mark Waugh criticized the pitch at Chepauk, terming it 'unacceptable' at 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 so far.
Joining the growing chorus against the turning Chepauk pitch, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen claimed that Team India would have lost the second Test as well had skipper Virat Kohli lost the toss. Taking to Twitter, Pietersen remarked that it is such a 'brave wicket' to prepare for a Test in India when the hosts are already one match down in the series.
Updated 20:16 IST, February 15th 2021