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IND vs AUS 1st Test: `Pitch mat Dekho, Cricket Khelo`, Rohit Sharma Reacts to Accusation of `Doctored Pitch` in Nagpur
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has advised the Australian cricket team to focus on cricket rather than unnecessarily take part in discussions about the nature of the pitch on offer in Nagpur
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, that involves four Tests between India and Australia and starts on February 9 in Nagpur, the pitch has once again taken all the attention. Two days before the match, the curator at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur watered the entire surface before they rolled just the centre of the pitch. Then, just the area outside the left-handers leg-stump was watered again. The Australian media and former cricketers reacted strongly to this event and called it a 'doctored pitch'. Australia's vice-captain Steve Smith too raised concerned about the pitch, saying their left-handers could find it hard to bat on that surface.
With so much talk happening on the nature of the surface in Nagpur, Team India captain Rohit Sharma has advised Australians to focus on playing cricket rather than getting engrossed in pitch's colour.
Speaking to the media ahead of the first Test, Rohit said, "Just focus on cricket and not the pitch. After all the 22 guys out there are all quality players." He added that the pitch was going to help spinners and that is why rotation of strike is important.
Rohit, 35, said that it would be important for batters to employ different ways to tackle the turn and bounce. While some would want to rotate strike, others can play sweeps, reverse-sweeps etc to play spin well.
Rohit further said that to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, preparation is key.
"We have four solid test matches to play in the BGT and we would want to win the series. It is going to be a challenging series and we have to be up for it. Preparation is the key. If you prepare well, you get results," he asserted.
The first Test in Nagpur starts on Februry 9 (Thursday) before action shifts to Delhi where the second Test will be held from February 17 to 21. The third Test will be played in Dharamsala from March 1 to Match 5 and the series concludes in Ahmedabad where the fourth and last Test will be played from Match 9 to 13.