'It was a nice pitch to bat on' - Rohit Sharma slams Ahmedabad pitch critics

All the excitement and fervor for the much-hyped Pink ball Test match lasted for less than two days. In a match where spinners reigned supreme, the Indian side thrashed England by 10 wickets to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.

A whopping 17 wickets fell on the second day and the batsmen were completely flummoxed by the way the pitch behaved. But then, Rohit Sharma has once again defended the pitch and has even stated that the pitch did not do ‘anything’. The ‘Hitman’ also added that most of the willow wielders were dismissed to deliveries that went straight and he also accepted that the Indian batsmen made mistakes as well.

Rohit added that there were no demons in the pitch and termed it as a nice wicket to bat on. The Indian opener stressed that the batsmen need to apply themselves and concentrate on this type of pitch.

“The pitch didn’t do anything, honestly speaking. Most batters got out to straighter deliveries, and as a batting unit we also made mistakes. The pitch had nothing as such, no such demons. It was a nice pitch to bat on. Once in you can score runs, as we saw. You just need to apply yourself and keep concentrating on a pitch like that,” said Sharma in the post-match press conference.

Virat Kohli agrees with Rohit Sharma

Indian skipper Virat Kohli too, agreed with his teammate. Kohli said that even though the result went India’s way, the batting was not up to the mark from both sides. Kohli also added that there was a lack of application from both the teams and opined that the Indian bowlers were more effective than their England counterparts.

Kohli even termed it ‘bizarre’ that 21 out of the 30 wickets that fell were too straight deliveries and said that the batsmen lacked concentration. The 32-year-old concluded by stating that the batsmen need to trust their defense a lot more.

“The result went our way but the quality of batting wasn’t at all up to standard by both teams. There was a lack of application from both sides. Our bowlers were much more effective and that’s why we got the result. It was bizarre that 21 of the 30 wickets were off straight balls, I think it was just a lack of concentration. I think batsmen need to trust their defence much more than they’re presenting at the moment,” concluded Kohli in the post-match presentation ceremony.

The Indian side has now taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series. And, a draw or a win in the final Test will ensure that Virat Kohli and his men book a ticket to Lord’s to take on New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.