Ahmedabad: There isn’t any purpose to cry over the character of the Motera track, India Head coach Ravi Shastri asserted on Saturday, saying the curator ready pitches that produced “fantastic entertainment” within the final two matches in Ahmedabad.
The pitch for the third Test got here in for sharp criticism from a few former England gamers after the guests have been bowled out for 112 and 81 within the day/evening match. While England struggled on the spin-friendly track, India claimed victories within the third and fourth Test on the Narendra Modi Stadium to qualify for the World Test Championship remaining against New Zealand in June.
“Why should I hold back? I attribute it to the groundsman,” Shastri mentioned after India dismissed England for 135 to register an innings and 25 run win within the remaining Test. “I think Ashish Bhowmick is an outstanding groundsman, he knows his job. He has learnt it the hard way. He worked with Daljit Singh, who was a master curator.”
“Who will complain against a track like this? It is fantastic entertainment, for both teams and the game and the result 3-1 doesn’t really suggest how close the series was.”
 “This has been a result of all the hardwork put in by the boys over a period of years”
 Head Coach @RaviShastriOfc heaps reward on his boys after the 3-1 Test collection win against  #TeamIndia #INDvENG @Paytm pic.twitter.com/IpxQbFlkTK
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 6, 2021
Shastri lauded the workforce for making it to the WTC remaining regardless of the ICC altering the qualification standards final yr. “For us to be on the top of the table in World Test championship is two-and-a-half years of work and for those years to be successful, it’s been six years prior to that,” he mentioned.
“The boys took one series at a time, they were not really bothered about the World Test Championship because the goal post gets shifted every time. We were heading the table and some rule change came of percentage system when we were not even playing but never mind all that, we have got 520 points, we deserve to be on top of the table and playing that final.”
With a number of bilateral collection hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ICC had made share of factors earned as the factors to find out the World Test Championship’s standings.
Shastri blamed fatigue for the workforce’s loss within the first Test in Chennai. “It could have been different if we had a few more days off but no excuse. Boys were like zombies, they were tired and there was no crowd to cheer them on. Because everything was flat and so was the performance,” he mentioned.
“But then a kick on the back side to reignite the pride in the system can make a lot of difference and that showed in the last three Tests.”
‘Yesterday‘s innings is probably the best counter-attacking innings I’ve seen in India, by an Indian batsmen’.
Ravi Shastri talking about Rishabh Pant’s unbelievable innings.  #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/WNrWasZfXu— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) March 6, 2021
The 58-year-old mentioned it could be very satisfying to see the kids carry out. “… When you see youngsters coming through the ranks and performing in such situation which are really tough. Not one individual calling the shots. We’ve given opportunities for youngsters and they have grabbed those and delivered,” he mentioned.
“They have been in a corner but they have fought from there. This side refuses to give up. We were irrepressible in Australia and we are the same here too. What Pant and Sundar pulled off yesterday was unreal because the pressure was on us and we were trailing by 50 and from there to get 360 was an outstanding achievement.”
The Indian gamers have been within the bio-bubble because the pre-IPL days in August final yr and Shastri mentioned they’re determined to get out of it quickly.
“Six months in the bubble, seeing the same faces day in day out, it is time for the bubble to burst (smiles). I know it’s still three weeks to go but the bubble will burst,” he mentioned.Â
