‘Want the ball to turn from Day 1’ - Ravi Shastri wants India to prepare turning tracks for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

There has been plenty of debate on the kind of wickets that would be on display for the four-match Test series between India and Australia. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has joined the discussion and shared his opinion on what kind of pitches he would want to see in the upcoming Test series.

India will host Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will start from February 9 in Nagpur. Notably, India have won the previous three editions of the series and would want to add another series victory against Australia at home this time around. 

“I want the ball to turn from Day 1! If you lose the toss, so be it. You want to see the ball turning a bit. Or something there for the bowlers on offer from Day 1. It’s your strength. You’re playing at home. Capitalise on it.” Shastri told Star Sports.

“There’s a lot of crap spoken about pitches. I believe no one other than the curator should have a say on what wickets are produced. I don’t think it should be up to the players, the manager, the coach, anybody! You just produce a good pitch. Surely a curator has been a player and wants to produce a good pitch," he added.

The buzz that an India-Australia series creates is second to none: Ravi Shastri

On being asked whether India versus Australia is one of the biggest rivalries in cricket, the former Indian cricketer said: “No question. It’s not just the cricket on the field. The buzz that an India-Australia series creates is second to none in world cricket. India is one of the teams that has really competed against Australia. That’s what has got everybody to watch the series. 

"More than anything else, credit must be given to the Indian players for making that happen. Australia always had a reputation: of playing in a certain fashion and dismantling sides. For India to step up and play them at their own game speaks volumes for the way the Indian players have performed over the last few years," Shastri concluded.