Virat shuts spin-track noise
Ahmedabad, March 3: Stop the noise, tighten up that defence and get on with the game — a combative Indian skipper Virat Kohli said on Wednesday ahead of the fourth and final Test against England as he navigated persistent queries on the spin-friendly tracks in the country.
India annihilated England inside two days in the Pink-ball Test at Motera, days after the visitors crumbled on another spin-assisting pitch in Chennai in the second Test.
England managed 112 and 81 in the Ahmedabad Test after scoring 134 and 164 in Chennai as Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel tormented them in turns.
“There is always too much noise and too much conversation about spin tracks,” India skipper Kohli said at the prematch press conference.
“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 conversation,” he added. Kohli, at the end of the third Test, had blamed the batsmen’s technique for their failure on the Motera track.
“But the unfortunate bit is everyone plays along with that narrative (spinning tracks) 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 said.
When asked what he thought were the skills required to survive on such challenging spin tracks, Kohli emphasised on having a solid defence, which, he believes, is not the strongest anymore thanks to shorter formats.
Meanwhile, Joe Root has urged his England team to be “braver” and to free themselves from fear in the fourth and final Test.
“We’ve got all the ingredients, all the pieces and all the skills to exploit and succeed in these conditions,” he said.