ENG Vs IND, 2018: India Won't Make Any Excuses Regarding the Pitch - Ravi Shastri

Team India head coach Ravi Shastri made it pretty clear to the English crowd and their players that India won’t be complaining whatsoever about any tough conditions regarding the outcome of the five-match Test series.

The gruelling series between England and India will test both the teams. Both teams will be raring to go and make a statement.

India has been termed as the favourites to win an all-important series by a 3-1 margin, according to the former English batsman Alan Lamb.

Reports had emerged on Tuesday (July 24) that the team management wasn’t satisfied with the pitch conditions and the barren outfield conditions at the Essex County Ground (ECG).

It is the venue for their only practice game against Essex. Originally, a four-day game but, after objections from the Indian team, the match was reduced to three days.

It had also to do with the heat wave which has been prevalent in England this summer. It has been the hottest summer in England for a long time.

Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri reiterated that he maintains a simple philosophy. He added the Indian won’t complain any bit about the conditions (pitch). However, he expects the visiting team to not complain in India.

Ravi has a simple philosophy:

“My philosophy is very simple — (in) your country, I don’t ask questions. (In) my country, you don’t ask. I said (to groundsmen) leave it, and don’t take anything off,” Shastri was quoted as saying during a media briefing.

 

“One thing, on this trip, you will never see this Indian team giving an excuse as regarding conditions or the pitch. Our challenge is to beat them. We take pride in performing wherever we go and we want to be the best travelling side in the world. The last person to complain will be this Indian team (sic), so I want to clarify this very clearly,” Shastri further added.

 

“There was good grass on that (pitch). The groundsmen asked if we wanted the grass to be taken off. I said ‘absolutely not’. (It is) your prerogative. You give (the wicket), we play, so when you come to my country you can never ask (about pitches),” he added.

Shastri stated scorching heat is a factor in their preparations to be disturbed a bit. He said that the team wanted better preparation ahead of the opening Test in Birmingham commencing on 1^st August.

However, Shastri explained that it is totally on the visiting team to decide whether they want to play a two day, three day of a four-day practice game.

“The game was reduced from four days to three because of the logistics and the weather prevailing. We had an opportunity to practice three days in Birmingham, which is the Test match venue,” Shastri stated.

 

“If we had played four days here we would have lost that one day there because of travel. As simple as that because the prerogative whether to play a two-day, three-day or four-day game lies entirely with the travelling team,” Shastri explained.

India wanted to play a two-day game: Ravi Shastri

The Indian coach added the decision to reduce the game to three days came on Tuesday.

“It was decided yesterday (during practice). We had a chat (with Essex authorities) and once they explained how they had sold tickets and everything. We were quite happy to play even a two-day game and use that one extra day for practice here. But they said tickets and all that, so we said okay, ‘we will play a three-day game’,” he said.

The basic idea was to have a session at the Edgbaston on Sunday. It is important for India to acclimatise to the match venue for the opening Test. They will look to start on a strong note.

Given their performances off late and their training, India stands a great chance of winning the Test series in England.

“And travel on Saturday, to be able to practice on Sunday. The reason is to get to the Test match venue because it wouldn’t have served any purpose with an extra day here. An extra day there will give us more familiarity with the venue and the conditions where you are playing the first Test,” Shastri concluded.