The ongoing Test series between India and England has been in the news just for the wrong reasons. Fans were expecting a thrilling contest between the heavyweights of world cricket, keeping in mind the weightage the series carries for qualifying to the finals of the World Test Championship. However, the series has been in talks mostly for the spinning pitches, which were used in the second and third Test.
The third Test, which took place at the Narendra Modi stadium, got over within 2 days of its play. The fourth Test is also scheduled to take place in the same venue. Indian skipper Virat Kohli is seemingly not happy with the hype created around the spinning pitches in India. Virat Kohli smashed the critics of the turning pitches, saying there is “too much noise about spinning tracks”.
IND vs ENG 4th Test: Virat Kohli’s presser
“Do you play the game to win it or to make sure it goes to five days and there is entertainment?” he quipped.
Kohli stated that batsmen’s skills should be judged at more than conditions, and added that India never complained while playing in seaming tracks abroad.
“I believe there is too much noise about spinning tracks,” Kohli said. “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,” he continued. “I am sure if our media is in a space to contradict those views or present views which say that it is unfair to criticise only spin tracks, then it will be a balanced a conversation,” Kohli argued.
“But the unfortunate bit is everyone plays along with that narrative and keeps making it news till the time it is relevant. And then a Test match happens, if you win on day 4 or 5, no one says anything but if it finishes in two days, everyone pounces on the same issue,” he added.
“I am sure even our people never wrote about the pitch when we lost in three days in New Zealand,” the skipper said.
“It has always been the case that spinning tracks are criticised but when the ball seems a lot and teams are bundled out for 40-50, no one talks about it,” the India captain said.
