Star India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Saturday that speculations regarding the pitch is currently getting out of hand, reported ANI. According to Ashwin, people should talk about the quality of play rather than the pitch. 

India beat England in two days in the third Test to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. The match saw batsmen from both sides struggle to score runs following which, critics have blamed the pitch. 

Talking about the criticism regarding the pitch, Ashwin told ANI, “I think I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong.”

He added, “The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries.”

Ashwin gave example of instances when two Test matches got over in five days. He said, “I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that’s why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice.”

Ashwin added, “The bowler wins the game, the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules?”