Published 19:32 IST, February 20th 2021
Cheteshwar Pujara says Chepauk wicket for 2nd Test VS England was not a 'dangerous' one
Cheteshwar Pujara has said that the Chepauk wicket for the 2nd Test match against England was not at all 'dangerous' ahead of the third Test in Ahmedabad
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Team India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has said that t the pitch used for the second Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai last week was not at all dangerous and it was just a matter of the wicket offering some turn.
The second Test pitch led to some sort of criticism from former players like Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh and the duo termed the pitch as 'sub-standard'.
'I do not think it was a bad pitch': Cheteshwar Pujara
"Sometimes you know when you are playing on a turning track, you find it difficult but at the same time, it was not a dangerous pitch at all. When the ball spins you know people find it difficult to score runs, especially the overseas teams. When we go overseas and we play on seaming tracks, the game finishes in three or four days. We still have to play on such wickets where there is a lot of grass or seam movement," said Pujara replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Saturday.
"In turning tracks, one cannot define how much the ball can spin. It is a very thin line in that way. I do not think it was a bad pitch, it always becomes difficult in the second innings, this is how it is. When we play in Australia, there are cracks on day four and five, it is a little dangerous, the oddball hits the crack and it might take off. As a team I do not think we had any issues, once opposition teams start playing more on these pitches, they will be fine," the number three Test batsman added.
Team India stage a remarkable comeback at Chepauk
England who had resumed their innings at 53/3 on Day 4 could not offer much resistance as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Joe Root (33) and Moeen Ali (43) who had batted down at number nine in this innings tried their level best to counter-attack the Indian spinners on a raging turner but in the end, it was the spin trio who came out on top as the visitors were bundled out for just 164.
Team India ended up registering an emphatic win by a mammoth 317 runs to level the four-match series 1-1.
Meanwhile, the all-important third Test match will be played under lights with the pink ball at the newly renovated Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad between February 24-28. Even the final Test match will be contested at the same venue as well from March 4-8.
The Men In Blue will now be hoping to win the next two Tests and thereby, earn the right to face New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final that will be contested from June 18-22 at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's.
(With ANI Inputs)
19:32 IST, February 20th 2021