Ravichandran Ashwin and Captain Rohit Sharma met for a quick chat after India’s historic win in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The two were major contributors to the team’s triumph, with India defeating Australia by an innings and 132 runs, they also debunked the pitch controversy.
In a post-match video shared by BCCI, the two stars were seen engaging in a fascinating discussion about their respective performances, the Nagpur pitch, and the much-talked-about pitch controversy.
“Elite Milestones and Mindset”: Rohit Sharma on Joining the Century Club as Captain
When asked by Ravichandran Ashwin about his historic feat of scoring a century in all three formats as captain, Rohit replied, “Yeah, it feels really good. I just got to know that I have achieved this feat. It’s always nice when you can add these milestones while playing because you have been playing for so long. But honestly speaking, your mind doesn’t go there.”
“You have got all those wickets man, I am sure you don’t look at all those numbers. You just come out there, play and do well for your team,” he added.
“Old School Cricket” and Maneuvering the Pitch: Rohit on Facing Aussie Spinners
“When I said old school cricket that means you have to come forward, try and trust your defense, not worry about what the pitch is gonna do. You just got to come to play the ball and worry about the rest later and that is what I was thinking,” Rohit stated.
“Luring Batsmen into Mistakes” – Ravichandran Ashwin’s Plan for the Slow Nagpur Pitch
Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up 5/37 in Australia’s second innings and a match haul of 8/79, spoke about his strategy on the slow Nagpur pitch. “The wicket was very slow. I have been saying this all through the Test. (It’s) Not one of those pitches where you might get the gloves ripping off at short-leg or silly point. You need to get the batsman driving on this wicket,” Ashwin said.
“Fantastic Cricketers”: Ravichandran Ashwin Hails Jadeja and Axar Patel
Ravichandran Ashwin also praised his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja who made his return to international cricket and picked up the man of the match award on Saturday. “To say (that I got) massive help from Jaddu (Jadeja) would be an understatement. He has been in phenomenal form,” said Ashwin.
“We have a very good set of spinners and we all can bat as well,” he added.
“Pitch Talk vs Skills Talk”: Ashwin and Rohit Debate Controversy Over Nagpur Wicket
Ravichandran Ashwin raised the question of the much-discussed pitch controversy and asked Rohit for his take on the topic. “Pitch talk is the real favorite topic on social media, especially for touring teams. When you were batting or they were batting, not one ball nicked off and went to silly points. You guys did not look in trouble. What is the secret? Is it good batsmanship or do we play on a different pitch?” Ashwin asked.
Rohit replied, “Same pitch. Like I said, the talk we have in the changing room, it’s about your ability and what you can do on the pitch. It’s beyond my understanding why there is so much talk about the pitch. Sad to see that there is not enough talk about skills. People are not talking about the bowler and the batter, they’re focusing too much on the surface. That’s really sad, but it is what it is. However, it didn’t bother us in the slightest. We just focused on our ability and what we could do on the pitch, and that’s all that matters in the end.”
This statement from Rohit highlights the importance of focusing on one’s own skills and abilities, rather than getting bogged down by external factors like the pitch conditions.
