Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has defended Motera Stadium’s pitch by stating that all the criticism aimed towards it has gone far too long.
India cruised to a stunning 10-wicket victory over England in the third of the four-match Test series in Ahmedabad inside two days, raising several questions over the nature of the pitch. Fans, experts and even former players voiced their concern regarding the same, but Kohli has asked for comparison during India’s tour of New Zealand in early 2020 when his men lost both the Tests inside three days.
He said that no one questioned the pitch back then, but everyone was quick to criticise the players. "Let me ask you a question - do we play matches so that they last 5 days or do we play to win?
"We lost in New Zealand inside 3 days. No one said anything about the pitch back then. Our strength is we focus on ourselves and not the pitch. We need to be honest with ourselves about this narrative (of spinning tracks)," Kohli said on the eve of the fourth Test between India and England at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
"I believe there is too much noise about spinning tracks. Our media should present the view that spinning tracks are fine in the subcontinent. The reason behind our success as a team is that we haven't cribbed about any surface we have played on. We have always tried to improve," the India captain added.
"No clue why the focus is so much on the ball or the pitch. Neither sides batsmen were good enough to tackle the pitch in 3rd Test. I maintain it was a case of the skill on display rather than the pitch being a bad one."
India take on England in the final Test in Ahmedabad's Motera Stadium, starting from March 4. Kohli's men either need to win or need to draw the Test. Anything apart from that would pave way for Australia to the World Test Championship final against New Zealand.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @BCCI
