Indian captain Rohit Sharma defended the nature of the Indore pitch after India lost the third Test on day 3 at Indore. The pitch at the Holkar stadium came under a lot of scrutiny after India were bowled out for 109 runs on day 1 itself.
"It was a collective decision to play on such pitches." We know the challenge will be on our batters too, but we're ready for such challenges" said Rohit Sharma in the postb match press conference.
Indore pitch slammed by Australian media
After India won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry pitch, frenetic play followed, where every ball turned big. Matthew Hayden had slammed the nature of the pitch the vicious turn it had offered
"No way spinners should come to bowl in the sixth over. This is the reason I don't like these kinds of surfaces. It shouldn't be keeping this low and turning so much on Day 1. It doesn't matter whether Australia wins this Test or India."
"This is why I've got a problem with these conditions. There's no way in the world that a spin bowler should come on in the sixth over. 4.8 degrees, that's massive turn. That's the sort of turn you'd expect day three."
Stop complaining and start find answers
Rohit Sharma, however, went into full-blown defense of the pitch, highlighting the lack of application as the major reason his team was skittled out in both innings.
"We allowed their bowlers to consistently bowl in the same areas. That is something we need to look at. We failed to apply ourselves and out shot selection was poor. When someone like a Nathan Lyon come out and consistently bowl in the same areas, as a batsman you need to try and negotiate that by ensuring the bowler's rhythm is disturbed"
Sharma recognised that the nature of the pitch warranted a different approach from his players.
When the pitch is challenging, you need innings like the one Shreyas Iyer played in the second innings. On the other hand, you have someone like a Pujara who, being Pujara, likes to grind it out. You need to find your own methods to get the job done. As long as the runs come, we are happy as a unit.
Lyon heroics receive praise
Nathan Lyon led the Australian spin attack with 11 wickets in the match. The veteran spinner took an eight wicket haul in the second inning and received praise from the Indian captain.
"According to me, from the current crop of overseas spinners, Nathan Lyon is right up there among the best. The accuracy with which he bowls means you need to try to put him under pressure. Every time he comes to India, he performs well. He goes about his business and lets the pitch do the rest."
The win ensured that Australia qualified for the World Test Championship in England in June. India on the other hand will have to win the fourth Test in Ahmedebad to qualify for the showpiece event or depend on other results for their qualification.
