AHMEDABAD: For a greater a part of the day, the taking part in floor for the fourth Test between India and Australia on the Narendra Modi Stadium used to be saved below wraps, reputedly to give protection to it from the unforgiving solar. It used to be handiest overdue within the afternoon when issues had cooled down a bit of that the bottom personnel lifted the tarpaulin covers to provide everybody a glimpse of the pitch.
The mower used to be out and so used to be the scrubbing brush to shine off the grass close to the great period spot. The wicket, as has been the norm on this sequence, has been neatly rolled within the center with a tinge of inexperienced.
With some other day last for the Test to start out and India’s position within the World Test Championship Final Still at stake, it is still observed how the pitch shapes up.
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But there used to be no doubting Rahul Dravid’s stand at the raging debate in regards to the high quality of the pitches on be offering for this sequence. The India trainer introduced out his barn-door like bat to protect the ploy of dispensing rank turners for the enduring sequence.
“It (pitch) looks okay to me,” he mentioned. Dravid earlier than re feeling, “Whatever the pitch is, it doesn’t matter. There is a lot of talk about the pitch all the time.
“It is similar for each the groups. It’s more difficult for the bowler from time to time, it is more difficult for the batsmen from time to time. Wickets are like that, no matter it’s, we need to learn how to play on them.”
The last Test in Indore, just like the first two Tests at Nagpur and Delhi, was finished inside three days. The third Test had drawn the wrath of match referee Chris Broad who had rated the pitch ‘poor’ and given it three demerit points.
(ANI photo)
Dravid was asked if he agreed with the match referee’s views.
“I would possibly not glance an excessive amount of into it. The fit referee is entitled to make his opinion. It does not topic if I believe his studying. It does not in reality topic. What I will be able to say is that on occasion, with WTC Points at stake, you’re looking at taking part in on wickets that get effects. It can occur on occasion, now not handiest in India, however even the world over. At occasions it’s tough to get that steadiness completely proper for everybody,” Dravid said.
Dravid’s grouse stems from the fact that India have been on the receiving end while touring abroad.
“We have performed on some difficult sequence out of the country as neatly on every occasion we cross. south africa not too long ago the place the spinner used to be taken out of the sport. Everyone’s seeking to produce wickets the place you ultimately need ends up in those video games and that’s the reason herbal. So, you’ll be taking a look to supply pitches the place the ball will cling sway over the bat. It’s a part of the sport.”
For the record, India’s prime spinner R Ashwin had managed to pick just six wickets on the tour of South Africa last year and those wickets had come at 60 apiece. The hosts had won the series 2-1.
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Like his assistant Vikram Rathore said the other day in Indore, Dravid too maintained that wickets are heavily in favor of the spinners because of the WTC.
“It (WTC) might be probably the most causes. Yes, as a result of there may be an excessive amount of top class on effects. You draw a sport like in Kanpur in opposition to New Zealand. We took 9 wickets in the second one innings and also you draw the sport and it units you again in a house sport.
“There is tough competition all round, every team is getting a result at home. There is a premium on result whether you play at home or away. In this competition, you get four points for a draw and 12 points for a win, so there is a premium on that.”
New Zealand had salvaged a draw within the fading mild of Kanpur in 2021 after tailenders Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel Batted out nearly 10 overs on Day Five.