India captain Rohit Sharma has delivered a resounding message to critics of the Nagpur pitch ahead of the first Test of the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Amid concerns about the wicket benefiting India’s spinners and causing problems for Australia, there have been suggestions that the Nagpur pitch has been doctored.
However, speaking to journalists in Nagpur, the 35-year-old batsman dismissed these claims, urging both teams to focus on the cricket that will be played over the next five days and play quality cricket that will excite fans. “Just focus on cricket and not on the pitch,” Sharma said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Sharma went on to say that preparation is key to success in any conditions and that both teams should look to prepare well ahead of the challenges they will face. He stressed that while it is important to have a plan, different players have different methods and that the teams need to alternate attacks and counterattacks to succeed.
“We have four solid Test matches to play in BGT and we would like to win the series. It will be a challenging series and we need to be ready. Preparation is key. If you prepare well, you will get results,” Sharma concluded.
The India skipper’s call for a focus on the cricket, rather than the pitch, comes as both teams gear up for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, set to begin on February 9 in Nagpur.
