India vs England: Visitors could lodge complaint about Motera pitch
England are planning to lodge a formal complaint to the ICC following their two-day defeat in the third Test. The rapid result has sparked a debate on the pitch at the newly-constructed Motera Stadium. England head coach Chris Silverwood revealed that he talked to match referee Javagal Srinath about the eventful Test, however, England are yet to take any further action. Here is more.
Head coach Silverwood expresses his disappointment
Expressing his disappointment, Silverwood said, "We'll be talking about certain things behind the scenes. We are disappointed that we are sat here when there should be three days of cricket left." "I am sure a few spectators are as well. We've spoken to Srinath but not about the pitch. Joe and I have to have a sit-down and see where we go with it."
A look at how the match panned out
The Test, which got over inside two days, will be remembered as the shortest one ever played in India. This was also the shortest completed Test since 1935. Batting first, England managed only 112 on Day 1. Although India looked in commanding position, Joe Root's five-for ended their innings on 145. Soon after, the visitors perished on 81 before India chased the 49-run target.
Batsmen from both sides didn't fare well
England collapsed on scores of 112 and 81 in their two innings, making an aggregate of 193. This has become their lowest aggregate in India, and their second-lowest anywhere in the world since 1904. Even the Indian batsmen faltered in the match. Rohit Sharma was the only Indian batsman who crossed the 50-run mark (66) in the Test.
The Motera wicket was targeted after the match
While many targeted the Motera pitch, the nature of the pink ball was cited as counter. As many as 20 of the 30 wickets were either lbw or bowled. Meanwhile, nearly 21 out of the 30 wickets fell to the straighter deliveries from spinners.
Mixed opinions on the Motera wicket
Following the completion of Test, the pitch drew tons of opinions. In the post-match presentation, Indian captain Virat Kohli described it as "very good pitch to bat on" and pinned the blame on "below-par batting". However, former England captain Alastair Cook felt, "Kohli's come out and defended the wicket almost as if it's a BCCI thing. It cannot possibly be the wicket."
Such experiences will make the English players tough: Silverwood
Keeping aside the arguments, Silverwood admitted that such experiences will hone the English players. "You look at the guys we've got in there, your Popes, Crawleys, Sibleys, all these guys coming through this experience," Silverwood said. "As tough as it is, it will hopefully galvanise them. When they do get in on flat surfaces, better surfaces, it will make them even more hungry."
India lead the four-match series 2-1
Team India made a stunning comeback in the four-match Test series by winning the pink-ball Test against England. With this, England have been knocked out of the qualification race for the ICC World Test Championship final. Meanwhile, the hosts need to either win or draw the final Test in Ahmedabad in order to be the second finalists.
