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‘Never seen any of our greats – be it coach Shastri or Gavaskar - talk about pitches’: Ashwin
During the post-match press conference on Tuesday, Ashwin said that he has never seen either the team or former cricketers make a big deal out of the condition of the pitch.
After thumping England in the second Test by 317 runs, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the ongoing debate over the condition of the pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
During the post-match press conference on Tuesday, Ashwin said that he has never seen either the team or former cricketers make a big deal out of it.
“I am completely fine with how they (English pundits) have their opinions because we will also have our opinions reserved when we tour abroad but we don't complain or crib, we just get on with it. I have never seen any of our greats – be it our coach Ravi Shastri or Sunil Gavaskar, they have been on lots of tours, talk about pitches having a lot of grass or all those things,” Ashwin said during the press conference.
Ashwin highlighted that the Indian cricket fraternity ‘need to get a little better’ in dealing with such accusations. Rather, ‘pride in the performances’ by the team should be considered primarily.
“Look, it is us who are getting bothered by all this. I mean everybody is entitled an opinion, whoever is giving their opinion are totally well within their rights to give their own opinion. I think, it is us who are reading into it and seeing if it is working or not."
“…so we as a cricketing fraternity or as a country, dealing with such sort of accusations, need to get a little better. We must just hold pride in saying how we are playing good cricket,” Ashwin further said.
In India, Ashwin says, people's opinions are at times are laced with unwarranted advice and that's precisely what happened during the five long years when he wasn't getting expected results with the bat.
"The problem in India is that we have a lot of people with varied opinions but that at times translates into advice, without anyone even trying to put in thought as to how the player thinks and how one needs help.
"With me, I needed some confirmation and I got that from the batting coach (Vikram Rathour)."
The condition of the Cheapuk tracks has been the biggest talking point during the first two India vs England Test was. The likes of former England captain Michael Vaughan and former Australia batsman Mark Waugh condemned the pitch used for the second Test, calling it ‘not fit for Test cricket’ and ‘unplayable’.
However, the Indian cricketers, especially Ashwin and Indian captain Virat Kohli exhibited how to play on a spin-friendly track. While Kohli was out on 62 in the second innings, Ashwin went on to score a hundred to help India set a mammoth 482-run target for the visitors to chase. In reply, Joe Root’s England crumbled in the final innings, getting bowled out for just 164.
(With PTI Inputs)
