India don't complain or crib about pitch conditions overseas, never seen our legends doing it: R Ashwin
India vs Australia: Speaking to the press after the 2nd Test win in Chennai, R Ashwin said Indian cricket fraternity needs to deal with pitch criticisms a little better and take pride in how the team performs across all conditions.
In Short
- R Ashwin once again opened up about criticism of Chennai pitch for 2nd Test
- I have never seen any of our greats talk about pitches overseas: Ashwin
- Ashwin's all-round effort helped India hammer England in 2nd Test by 317 runs
After silencing the criticism over Chennai pitch for the 2nd Test with his hundred in the 2nd innings on Monday, R Ashwin has once again shed light on the chatter around the conditions, saying people are entitled to their own opinions.
R Ashwin, speaking to the press after India hammered England by 317 runs in the 2nd Test to go 1-1 in the 4-match series on Tuesday, said India also have their opinions when touring abroad but he has never seen either the team or former cricketers make a big deal out of it.
Several former cricketers, including former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australia batsman Mark Waugh, slammed the Chennai pitch for the 2nd Test, calling it "not fit for Test cricket" and "unplayable". A few excerpts even went on to call the pitch "a beach" as England were bundled out for 134 in the first innings.
However, R Ashwin and Virat Kohli let the bat do the talking in the 2nd innings as they stitched a 96-run stand, putting on a masterclass of dealing with spin in such conditions. While Kohli got out for 62, Ashwin hit his 5th Test hundred and helped India post 286. England crumbled in the final innings as well as they managed just 164.
"I am completely fine with people having their opinions because we also have ours when we tour abroad. But we don't complain or crib but just get on with it. And I have never seen any of our greats, be it our coach Ravi Shastri or Sunil Gavaskar, they have been on lots of tours, I have never seen them talk about pitches having a lot of grass, it never happens," Ashwin said.
"I think it's a mentality. People have their opinions. But I think we should be able to magnanimously deflect them away," he added.
'Indian cricket fraternity needs to handle such accusations better'
Ashwin also said Indian cricket fraternity needs to deal with such criticism better and rather take pride in the performances of the senior national team across all conditions.
"I think it's us who are getting bothered by all this. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, whoever is giving an opinion, they are well within their rights to do so. It's us who are reading into it and seeing whether it works or not.
"As a cricketing fraternity or as a country, dealing with that sort of accusations need to get a little better. We must just hold pride in saying how we are playing good cricket. Test matches are won over a period of time. You play a lot of overs and you win them," Ashwin said.
Ashwin won the Man of the Match Award for his 2nd innings hundred and match-haul of 8 wickets in the 2nd Test.