India Coach's Sharp Reply To Stokes' 'Subcontinent Pitch' Charge After Loss

The pitch game is heating up ahead of the India vs England third Test in Lord's that starts on July 10. The series is level at 1-1 after some brilliant battle in the first two Tests at Headingley and Edgbaston. Pitches at both the venues appeared to be suiting the batter's more. Several Indian and England players slammed centuries in the two matches. After the loss at Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes stunned all by saying that the pitch was what India is used to playing at home. 

"To be honest, it's probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it's got deeper and deeper into the game," Stokes said. "With the Indian attack and the conditions that they're used to, they were used to and used some of how to expose those conditions, just sort of a little bit better than that can happen sometimes."

Now, India batting coach has given an indirect but sharp response to the Stokes' statement.

“Personally, it didn't look like a subcontinental wicket to me. Whenever our bowlers bowled, the ball moved. Even in the second innings, the ball was moving even after 40 overs,” said Kotak. 

“On the last day, maybe, the ball was turning a little. When you prepare such a hard wicket with grass, it won't create rough but it will have footmarks, which help with the turn. I think they tried to make a hard batting wicket.”

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is expecting the pitch for the Lord's Test to be much more challenging for the batters than the flat tracks of first two games. 

“The is a little green in the wicket, which we saw in the last two matches, it is more than that. But tomorrow, the last cutting they do the day before the match, after that we can talk," Kotak said on Tuesday.

“And generally a Lord's... The scores of the first and second innings are comparatively low. So, we can expect that it will be helpful for bowlers.

"For the batsmen, the same thing, I believe, is the mindset. Spending time on the wickets is the best friend you can have. The more time you spend on the wicket, the more you will adjust to it." Asked for his thoughts on Archer's return, he said: “It will be a challenge, Jofra coming in. There might be a couple of bowling changes in the England team.

“Wicket also will be a little more challenging, it seems. And, after last two games, if, as a host, England think that they want to give a little bit more challenging wicket, it is fair enough. You bat well, it is fine. If you don't any wicket will be a challenge,” said the Saurashtra veteran.

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