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Rahul Dravid (File Photo, Twitter)
The entire cricketing fraternity is currently dedicated to the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, in India. All teams have completed their four matches so far. Meanwhile, cricket’s governing also shook everyone when it came up with the ‘average’ ratings on Ahmedabad and Chennai pitches. Subsequently, the Indian head coach Rahul Dravid couldn’t hold himself back.
Notably, Team India have also played one match each on the wicket of Ahmedabad and Chennai. Dravid answered a question from a journalist during the pre-match press conference before the match against New Zealand.
"I will definitely respectfully disagree with the average rating." - Rahul Dravid
“Main definitely, respectfully disagree karunga. Vo good wickets they.(I will definitely, respectfully, disagree with the average rating given for those two wickets.) I'll answer this in English because I might get myself into trouble!” said Dravid followed by a burst of laughter in the press conference hall.
"I will definitely respectfully disagree with the average rating given for those two wickets. I think they were good wickets. If you only want to see 350 (run) games and rate only those wickets as good, then I disagree with that. I think you have to see different skills on display as well," he added later. It's not about if we wanted to see only 4s and 6s being hit, then we have T20 wickets as well, where, honestly, in Delhi or in Pune, probably 350-plus wickets as well. Only those are good wickets, so why are the bowlers here? Why have spinners at all, for that matter,” he added later.
Furthermore, Dravid also spoke about the individual skills of the players rather than an emphasis on the behaviour of the pitches.
“I disagree with that (just hitting) because I think we should see all skills on display, the ability to rotate strike through the middle. See the quality of watching (Ravindra) Jadeja bowl a (Mitchell) Santner bowl or (Adam) Zampa bowl or watching Kane Williamson rotate the strike through the middle, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul the way they batted against Australia. Those are skills as well. Those also need to come out and be shown and be displayed,” said Dravid.