India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma hits back at Nagpur pitch critics, says ‘focus should be on cricket’

Ahead of the high-voltage Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, the pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium where the opening Test begins on 9 February, is drawing attention.

Several Australian media outlets noted that ground staff had left the area beyond left-handers’ off-stump dry at both ends. Some former cricketers and experts also brought out accusations saying that the wicket in Nagpur has been “doctored” in order to favour the hosts.

While being asked about the topic, India captain Rohit Sharma, during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, said that both teams should focus on the match rather than thinking about the pitch.

Discussing the hotly-contested series, the India opener rubbished all the claims made by the visiting unit and said, “The focus should be on cricket and not on the pitch. After all, each of the 22 guys from both sides is a quality player.” He further acknowledged the fact that the surface will come in handy for the spinners.

Thus, Rohit Sharma suggested the batters rotate strikes frequently in an effort to bring better results. “It is crucial to make a plan and find a solution. Everybody adopts a different strategy. Some people prefer to sweep, some reverse, and some hit over the bowler. Rotate your strikes, and you also need to counter-attack when it’s necessary,” the India skipper explained.

According to Sharma, the captains will need to take their decision accordingly and use their bowlers as per their plans. He noted, “Naturally, the captains will experiment with different things and change bowlers, and fields. So, you must play according to your plans.”

Rohit Sharma denied taking the Aussies lightly and admitted that the four-Test series is not going to be an easy assignment for the hosts.

However, he made it clear that the Indian brigade is preparing themselves well to pull out the best-possible result against their opponents. “In the BGT, we have four solid Test matches to play, and we would like to win the series. We must be prepared for the challenging nature of the series. Preparation is the key and you achieve success if you are well-prepared,” the 35-year-old said.

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