India coach Rahul Dravid has expressed disagreement over the International Cricket Council (ICC) dishing out ‘average’ pitch rating to Ahmedabad and Chennai pitches. Notably, these are the only two pitches where India bundled out for less than 200, Pakistan and Australia, respectively. India although, won those two games and to other two as well, comfortably.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“If you want to only see 350-run matches and rate only those pitches as good, then I disagree with that,” Dravid said before India’s match against the Kiwis in Dharamsala. “You have to see different skills on display as well. If you wanted to only see fours and sixes being hit, then we have T20 for that. Why do we need anything else?
Dravid also said that rating pitches average when it spins a bit leaves bowlers no where to go.
ALSO READ | ODI World Cup 2023: Jos Buttler accepts responsibility after humiliating defeat, says ‘we’re well beaten’
“There are skills on display on 350 wickets also. That’s fine on that particular day. But in the first few games when it spins a little bit or something happens that brings the bowlers into the game, and you start rating pitches as average, where does it leave the bowlers? Why are they coming then? Play two T20 matches then.
“We need to have a better way of deciding what is good or average.”
The former India skipper also said that he wants to see some variety and good contest between bat and ball throughout the tournament.
“I just want to see some variety,” Dravid said. “There will be some good wickets and games that are high-scoring. And there will be other games where the ball turns, and others where it seams a little bit. You’ve got a long tournament, and you’re playing in India in different parts of the country. There will be different wickets and different challenges. Teams that are able to cope with all those challenges are the ones that will end up being successful.”
India next play New Zealand on October 22 in Dharamsala in a clash of table-toppers.
You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
