Former cricketer Pravin Amre spoke about Team India`s decision to use turning tracks at home, a strategy he believes will help the side, as they will not get home advantage in away Test matches.
However, in the first Test match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the results didn`t favour India as they suffered a loss by 30 runs against South Africa. This also marked their first loss against the Proteas in 15 years.
Speaking to ANI, Amre said, “It`s always a think-tank decision because they know what the strength of the team is and it`s always a home advantage. It`s also important to take that home advantage because when you tour abroad, you will never get that home advantage but it`s also important that the result goes in our favour”.
With the second Test match between Team India and South Africa underway at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati, the hosts will play for pride and will look to avoid their second consecutive defeat. On the other hand, the Temba Bavuma-led side will aim to script history by registering a whitewash against India.
Further speaking about why India has started losing the matches on the turning tracks, the former cricketer said that it is an art to bat on such pitches. He also feels that the Indian players should prepare themselves for such pitch conditions.
“Well, I think it is also an art to play on a turning track. That was always with us. This result is also pointing out that we should prepare well for this. We should not deny that we have to, sometimes it`s also critical to get the result. We should have turning tracks. We were successful and we were the number one team because we played on turning tracks earlier, and we had a batting unit that could score 400 runs and a bowling unit that could take 20 wickets,” said the 57-year-old former cricketer.
“This is definitely an area to improve, and I think it can be handled easily because we have talented players. We have to trust them, and it`s all about the preparation. I think we need more preparation for playing in these types of conditions,” he added.
In the ongoing second Test match, Rishabh Pant has been leading the Indian pack as Shubman Gill missed out on the clash due to injury. The right-hander has still not fully recovered from the neck injury that he sustained during the series opener.
(With ANI Inputs)