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Disagree with the average rating given for Chennai, Ahmedabad: Rahul Dravid
“I think we need to have a better way of deciding what is good and average." - Rahul Dravid
The ‘average’ rating handed out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to the pitches used for India’s World Cup games against Australia in Chennai and Pakistan in Ahmedabad drew a strong reaction from head coach Rahul Dravid on Saturday. In their opening game in Chennai, India bowled out Australia for 199 in 49.3 overs and chased down the target with six wickets in hand and 52 balls to spare.
In Ahmedabad, India skittled Pakistan for 191 in 42.5 overs before cruising to a seven-wicket victory with 117 balls in hand. The wickets were spread evenly by the Indian bowlers in both games. Pakistan’s implosion, in particular, had more to do with inept batting than any demons in the surface. India’s emphatic response with the bat certainly suggested that as Rohit Sharma slammed a stroke-filled 63-ball 86 while Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten half-century.
“I will definitely respectfully disagree with the average rating given for those two wickets. I think they were good wickets. If you only want to see 350 games and rate only those wickets as good, then I disagree with that. I think you have to see different skills on display as well. It's not about if we wanted to see only fours and sixes being hit. If only those are good wickets, then why are the bowlers here? Why have spinners at all, for that matter? I think we should see all skills on display, the ability to rotate strike through the middle. See the quality of watching Jadeja bowl or Kane Williamson rotating the strike through the middle, the way Virat Kohli and KL Rahul batted against Australia. Those are skills as well. Those also need to come out and be shown and be displayed,” Dravid said on the eve of India’s match against New Zealand.
Dravid also brought up the example of last year's T20 World Cup in Australia, pointing to a low-scoring game against South Africa in Perth where India stuttered to 133/9 and lost in the final over. Teams from the subcontinent have had a long-standing grievance that spinning pitches attract criticism while surfaces that swing and seam escape the wrath of officials.
“I think we need to have a better way of deciding what is good and average. India play South Africa, seaming and swinging all over the place. That's a T20 game. I don't know what rating was given to that. I hope that was rated average as well. I am not complaining about that. That wicket at Perth was good. It challenged different skills. And I am saying this even though we lost. Sometimes wickets will turn a bit, sometimes they will seam a bit, they will swing a bit, they will bounce a bit. If all we want to see is sixes and fours being hit, then I disagree,” he added.
