Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin (Image Credits: Twitter)

With plenty of criticism surrounding the Ahmedabad pitch after the pink-ball Test between India and England wrapped within two days, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hit back. Several former England cricketers have come down hard at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where three innings completed in two days. Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his irritation at the outsiders condemning the pitch.

While several former cricketers have slammed the pitch, few of them think that the batting line-ups could have batted better. With 21 out of the 30 wickets falling to straighter deliveries, Kevin Pietersen believed that the track had no demons and termed it an awful batting performance from India and England. England managed only 193 runs in two innings while the hosts’ only one completed inning produced 145 runs. In the end, India won by ten wickets.

Talk About The Surface Is Getting Out Of Hand: Ravichandran Ashwin
(Credits: Twitter)

Ravichandran Ashwin underlined that the pitch talk is becoming too much. The outsiders should not try and sell it time and again despite stressing that everyone is entitled to their opinion. The veteran cricketer cannot think of any instances where the track has come extensively under discussion during India’s overseas series.

“I think I have said in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right or wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much where we have played games in other countries?” Ashwin said as quoted by ANI News.

That is how we have been taught to play cricket: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli
Ravichandran Ashwin [Image-BCCI]
Ravichandran Ashwin added that rarely do Indian teams complain about pitches and presented an example of Virat Kohli when in South Africa, he refuses to talk about the surface. The 34-year old revealed that without whining about decks is how they have learnt to play cricket and believes that other teams must do the same.

“I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in five days. There is a video doing rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that’s why I let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice,” he added.

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