ODI World Cup 2023

‘I might get myself into trouble!’ – India head coach Rahul Dravid slams pitch rating for India’s games at Chennai and Ahemdabad

In the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, the Indian team has been phenomenal against all opponents till now. The host nation has won four games against Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in the ongoing tournament and is unbeaten till now. However, ahead of a crucial game against New Zealand, the head coach Indian team Rahul Dravid slammed the Apex Cricket Council over the pitch rating issue.

A few days ago, the Apex Cricket Council gave Ahmedabad and Chennai pitches an average rating. While addressing the press conference on Saturday, Dravid was asked to speak about it, and the Wall took a dig at the supreme cricket body. “Main definitely, respectfully disagree, karunga. Vo good wickets, they. I’ll answer this in English because I might get myself into trouble!” Dravid said as the press room broke into laughter.

“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 continued.

“Why have spinners at all”, Rahul Dravid questions Apex Cricket Council

Further explaining his comments, Dravid questioned the role of bowlers in the game. He 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 Pune, probably 350-plus wickets. If only those are good wickets, then why are the bowlers here? Why have spinners at all, for that matter?”

“I disagree with that (just hitting) because I think we should see all skills on display, including the ability to rotate and strike through the middle. See the quality of watching a (Ravindra) Jadeja bowl, a (Mitchell) Santner bowl, or a (Adam) Zampa bowl, or watching Kane Williamson rotate the strike through the middle, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul batta against Australia. Those are skills as well. Those also need to come out and be shown and displayed,” he further added.

It’s worth noting that India will take on New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on October 22. After four back-to-back victories, India will be looking to continue their winning run. However, they will also look to beat the Kiwis for the first time since 2003 in a multinational tournament. The team will also look to avenge their four-year-old semifinal defeat.