Focus on cricket, not pitch: Rohit responds to Australian media's uproar about Nagpur pitch

India captain Rohit Sharma subtly shuts down Australian media's uproar about the Nagpur pitch ahead of the opening Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The first Test of the four-match series is scheduled to begin on Thursday (Feb. 9) at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.

Over the last couple of days, the Australian media have created an uproar over the Nagpur pitch. According to several media reports, only the center of the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium (VCA) wicket was watered and rolled, while the area where bowlers would target left-handers was left brazenly dry.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the big game, Rohit said the focus needs to be on the match and not the pitch as 22 talented cricketers from the two countries will compete in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Itna pitch maat dekho, cricket khelo. After all, the 22 guys out there are all quality players," Rohit told reporters when he was asked about the Australian media talking about doctored pitches.

When asked about the Nagpur surface, Rohit said that the track would benefit spinners. As a result, he emphasised the significance of rotating strike.

"It is important to have a plan and figure a way. Everyone has a different method. Some like to sweep some reverse some hitting over the bowler. You need to rotate strike and sometimes you need to counterattack," the Indian skipper explained.

Speaking about the much-awaited Test series, Rohit admitted that beating Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy would be a difficult assignment, but the hosts were prepared in every way possible to produce a positive result in the end.

"We have four solid test matches to play in the BGT and we would want to win the series. It is going to be a challenging series and we have to be up for it. Preparation is the key. If you prepare well, you get results," said Rohit.

India are the defending champions, having won the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both their victories came on the Australian soil.

On selection headaches, he said, "It is tough. The guys are in good form, pushing for a spot and doing really well, and it is tough to leave some out. We will take brave calls."

Rohit Sharma's captaincy will be tested, claims Ramiz Raja

Earlier, former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja said that Rohit's captaincy will be put to the test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. It is going to be Rohit's first time leading India in the iconic series.

"Rohit Sharma's captaincy will be put to the test, there is no doubt about that. There isn't going to be a single session in the first Test where Australia won't fight hard. There won't be any flat sessions. The strategy needs to be fool-proof and so does the selection. There also needs to be clarity over the conditions they want to trump Australia," Raja was quoted, as saying on his YouTube channel.

India suffered a major setback when Shreyas Iyer failed to recover in time for the home series against Australia. Team India has included Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav in their squad and while it would be interesting to see who would get a green signal for the Nagpur game, Raja has backed the latter to make his Test debut on Thursday.

"India should play Suryakumar Yadav. He will generate pace with the bat. They have named a lot of T20 players in their squad for the first two Tests, which is good because an action is what gets a thumbs-up from everyone in Test cricket these days. We saw how England scored 350-400 runs in a single day against Pakistan. The more pace you generate, the more pressure you can create. India have a great opportunity to create pressure," said Raja.