COACH SHASTRI LAUDS PLAYING SURFACE
AHMEDABAD: There is no reason to cry over the nature of the Motera track, India head coach Ravi Shastri asserted on Saturday, saying the curator prepared pitches that produced ‘fantastic entertainment’ in the last two matches here.
The pitch for the third Test came in for sharp criticism from a few former England players after the visitor was bowled out for 112 and 81 in the Day/ Night match. “Why should I hold back? I attribute it to the groundsman,” Shastri said after India dismissed England for 135 to register an innings and 25 run win in the final Test here. “I think Ashish Bhowmick is an outstanding groundsman, he knows his job. He has learnt it the hard way. He worked with Daljit Singh, who was a master curator.
“Who will complain against a track like this? It is fantastic entertainment, for both teams and the game and the result 3-1 doesn’t really suggest how close the series was.”
Shastri lauded the team for making it to the WTC final despite the ICC changing the qualification criteria last year. “For us to be on the top of the table in World Test Championship is twoand-a-half years of work and for those years to be successful, it has been six years prior to that,” he said.
“The boys took one series at a time, they were not really bothered about the World Test Championship because the goal post gets shifted every time.
“We were heading the table and some rule change came of percentage system when we were not even playing but never mind all that, we have got 520 points, we deserve to be on top of the table and playing that final.” The 58-year-old said that it is very satisfying to see the youngsters perform.
“... when you see youngsters coming through the ranks and performing in such situations which are really tough.
Not one individual calling the shots. We have given opportunities for youngsters and they have grabbed those and delivered,” he said.
“They have been in a corner but they have fought from there. This side refuses to give up. We were irrepressible in Australia and we are the same here too.
“What Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar pulled off was unreal because the pressure was on us and we were trailing by 50. From there to get 360 was an outstanding achievement.”
The India players have been in a bio-bubble since the pre-IPL days in August last year and Shastri said that they are desperate to get out of it soon.