‘It's for ICC to decide whether Motera pitch is fit for purpose, not players’: Joe Root | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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‘It's for ICC to decide whether Motera pitch is fit for purpose, not players’: Joe Root

Feb 26, 2021 07:47 AM IST

Root said that the ICC should consider the suitability of the pitch for the longest format of the game.

England captain Joe Root refused to blame the track at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after losing the pink-ball Test on Thursday by 10 wickets.

England's Joe Root bowls during the 2nd day of the 3rd Test Match against England in Ahmedabad(ECB / Twitter)
England's Joe Root bowls during the 2nd day of the 3rd Test Match against England in Ahmedabad(ECB / Twitter)

During the post-match virtual press conference, the English captain said that it is up to the ICC, and not the players, to decide whether the ‘difficult’ Motera pitch is suitable for Test cricket. He added that the global cricketing body should consider the suitability of the pitch for the longest format of the game.

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“I think that this surface, it's a very challenging one, is a very difficult one to play on. It is not for players to decide whether it is fit for purpose or not and that is up to the ICC. As players we are going to try and counter what is in front of us as best as we can,” said Root.

Before England were bowled out for a paltry 81, Root claimed a career-best five-wicket haul and returned with the figures of 5 for 8.

Root said his team missed the opportunity to get a big first-innings total, which seemed possible when it was 70 odd for just two wickets.

“We are disappointed, I feel we have missed an opportunity, more so in the first innings than anything. The position we found ourselves in at 71/2, we had a real chance to (score big). In hindsight, if we would have got 200, that would have been a very good score on that wicket and the game would have looked completely different,” Root said.

“We have got to get better and we are going to keep looking to find a way to scoring runs on surfaces like this,” he added.

ALSO READ | 'Batting from both sides was below-par': Virat Kohli defends pitch, criticizes batsmen after India beat England

With Thursday's loss, England were knocked out of contention from the World Test championship final as they needed to beat India at-least by a margin of two Tests in the four-match series.

The fourth and the final Test will be played at the same venue from March 4.

(With PTI Inputs)

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