Former England spinner Graeme Swann has reckoned that the Indian team never complains when they are presented with the green seaming decks instead they improve themselves, which is how it should be. He also added that England cannot afford to repeat their mistakes in the next Test.
England experts and fans have gone bonkers after the third Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium finished in 140.2 overs, well inside two days. None of the sides could reach even 150 in their respective innings and when part-time off-spinner Joe Root finished the first innings with figures of 5/8, some suggested that the pitch had turned into a lottery wicket on Day two of the pink-ball Test. However, Indian captain Virat Kohli was of the opinion that batsmen from both sides batted poorly on a good wicket while Joe Root termed it a difficult deck to bat while leaving it to the ICC to take a call on the pitch when quizzed about it.
Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann, who was an integral part of team’s 2-1 win over India in 2012/13, which still remains India’s last Test series loss at home, asserted that England need to work hard to negate R Ashwin and Axar Patel. He also insisted that the Indians never complain about the nature of pitches when they tour England.
“When India come to England, they play on green seaming decks and India don’t complain about it, they try and improve. Virat Kohli worked his socks off to make sure his game could cope with Jimmy Anderson on a nibbling wicket. England will have to work their socks off to cope with Ashwin and more importantly Axar Patel,” Swann told host broadcasters Star Sports, reported HT.
Swann also emphasized the need for the England team to get away from the pitch talks and asked them to have an honest conversation about things.
“Well, I hope it’s a very honest conversation (in the England dressing room after the loss) and what they have to get away from, if they are, is to talk about the pitch. I know there is a lot of talk back in England, a lot of people saying ‘oh the pitch this, the pitch that’. The pitch is the same for both teams.”
He also added that the pitch for the next Test will be more or less similar and the Three Lions can’t hide behind the pitch accusations and will need to correct the wrongs in the final Test starting from March 4 onwards.
“England played well for half of this game, with the ball, but India just bowled better in the second innings. They are going to get a very similar wicket to play on next week. There are no two ways about it, England have to be better. They cannot afford to make the same mistakes.They cannot afford to hide behind accusations that the pitch is turning too much. It’s nonsense.”
