Andrew Strauss Slams Virat Kohli For Defending Ahmedabad Pitch; Says The Indian Captain Looks After The Groundsmen

Former England captain Andrew Strauss has voiced his concerns over Virat Kohli condoning the nature of Ahmedabad’s pitch. The third Test, a pink-ball affair between India and England in Ahmedabad, was the shortest Test match since World War II as it finished within two days. Andrew Strauss hit out at the Indian skipper, saying it seems like he looks after the groundsmen.

Ahmedabad’s pitch has divided the cricketing fraternity as several former cricketers have criticised it for assisting spin-bowlers from the get-go and flurry of wickets fallen in two days. England registered totals of 112 and 81 in the two innings while India fared marginally better in the first innings, managing 145. Axar Patel picked up 11 wickets in the match while Joe Root snared a fifer in the first innings as 13 scalps fell on the first day and 17 on the second.

After India won by ten wickets, Virat Kohli highlighted that the ball was coming on nicely with the odd ball turning; however, the batting performance was underwhelming from both teams. Kohli felt that their bowlers were more effective, due to which they got the result in their favour.

“We felt like the ball was coming on nicely with the odd ball turning but it was below-par batting from both teams. Our bowlers were much more effective and that’s why we got the result,” Kohli told in the post-match presentation.

I totally agree with Cooky: Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss felt that it was ridiculous to say that the pitch had no fault, agreeing with Alastair Cook that Virat Kohli looks after the groundsmen to a certain degree.

“To say the pitch has no fault to play, I totally agree with Cooky. Kohli’s looking after the groundsmen there to a certain degree,” Strauss said as quoted by India Today.

Alastair Cook, who succeeded Andrew Strauss as England’s skipper, stated that Kohli defended the pitch as if it was a BCCI thing. Cook believed that the track was challenging to bat on and it would be unfair to blame the batsmen as 28 out of 30 wickets perished to the spinners.

“Virat Kohli’s come out and defended the wicket almost as if it’s a BCCI thing — it cannot possibly be the wicket. Yet it was so hard to bat on that. So hard. Take the wicket out and blame the batsmen?” Cook questioned while addressing Kohli’s assessment,” Cook told Channel 4.

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