Team India have done so well in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 where they won all four games so far. Meanwhile, New Zealand too have the same record so far and these two teams are all set to play against each other on October 22. However, among the four venues where Team India played, two – Chennai and Ahmedabad – have received an ‘average’ rating for pitch by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Notably, till October 15, these were the only two pitches in the Cricket tournament that were rated ‘average’. The others were rated ‘good’ or ‘very good’. And, this didn’t go down well with head coach Rahul Dravid, who “respectfully disagreed” with the ICC on Saturday as well.
“Main definitely, respectfully disagree karunga. Vo good wickets they. (I will definitely, respectfully, disagree with the average rating given for those two wickets.) I’ll answer this in English because I might get myself into trouble!” Dravid said as the press conference before India’s next match vs New Zealand.
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“I will definitely respectfully disagree with the average rating given for those two wickets. I think they were good wickets. If you only want to see 350 (run) games and rate only those wickets as good, then I disagree with that. I think, you have to see different skills on display as well,” Dravid said. “It’s not about if we wanted to see only 4s and 6s being hit, then we have T20 wickets as well, where, honestly, in Delhi or in Pune, probably 350-plus wickets as well. Only those are good wickets, then why are the bowlers here? Why have spinners at all, for that matter?”
However, Rahul Dravid said an ODI game is all about showing the different skills of players and not just hitting as well. And, Team India are all set to take on another strongest contender New Zealand as well.
“I disagree with that (just hitting) because I think we should see all skills on display, the ability to rotate strike through the middle. See the quality of watching (Ravindra) Jadeja bowl or a (Mitchell) Santner bowl or a (Adam) Zampa bowl or watching Kane Williamson rotate the strike through the middle, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul the way they batted against Australia. Those are skills as well. Those also need to come out and be shown and be displayed,” he said.
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“Some of the wickets, even we have played, I mean, honestly, in Delhi and Pune, rotating the strike in the middle overs wasn’t necessarily a very difficult skill. The contest was about who could hit more 4s and 6s. So that’s not the only way, in my opinion, respectfully, to be able to judge wickets. I think we need to have a better way of deciding what is good and average. Sometimes wickets will turn a bit, sometimes they will seam a bit, they will swing a bit, they will bounce a bit. All we want to see is sixes and fours being hit in 350 scores as good wickets, then I disagree,” Rahul Dravid concluded.
