‘I’m sometimes as clueless…’- Rahul Dravid finally speaks up on dishing rank-turners to oppositions in India

India grounded England in the 2nd test at Visakhapatnam by 106 runs to level the five-match series by 1-1. The fans witnessed a riveting contest between both the teams in the first two tests and with the series leveled the last three tests are expected to be even more intense and hard-fought.

There is a 9-day gap between the 2nd and the 3rd test at Rajkot and the England team is off to Dubai for a short break while the Indian players have set off to their respective homes for some family time. 

Jasprit Bumrah lead the Indian bowling attack in the first Two-Tests

The pitches for the first two tests at Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam were hailed as some of the best ones offered in India in the last 5 years where there was something for everyone and both the matches went till Day 4. Jasprit Bumrah came out to be the best bowler for India in both matches and even overtook the dominating Indian spinners at home.

Bumrah took centre stage with a remarkable bowling performance, claiming figures of 9 for 91, marking the best performance by an Indian seamer against England in 40 years and his finest display on home turf. This included a breathtaking six-wicket haul in the first innings, during which he also achieved the milestone of becoming the fastest Indian bowler (in terms of balls bowled) to reach 150 wickets in the format."

Meanwhile, amid the 2nd Test at Visakhapatnam, former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly urged the Indian Cricket Boards to prepare such wickets in India given their lethal bowling attack.

Ganguly tweeted, “When I see Bumrah Sami Siraj Mukesh bowl. I wonder why we need to prepare turning tracks in India..my conviction of playing on good wickets keeps getting stronger every game. They will get 20 wickets on any surface with Ashwin Jadeja Kuldeep and Axar.. batting quality is dropping because of pitches in the last 6 to 7 yrs at home ..good wickets are a must. India will still win over 5 days."

When I see Bumrah Sami Siraj Mukesh bowl . I wonder why do we need to prepare turning tracks in india ..my conviction of playing on good wickets keeps getting stronger every game .. They will get 20 wickets on any surface with ashwin jadeja Kuldeep and axar .. batting quality…

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) February 3, 2024

Rahul Dravid’s response to preparing rank-turners in India

Indian cricket coach Rahul Dravid when asked about Sourav Ganguly’s tweet on Indian pitches and the need to prepare rank-turners in India replied that the team management has nothing to do with the kind of pitches being prepared in India nor do they ask for rank-turners to get some home advantage. He even said that sometimes even he is as clueless as people outside regarding how the pitches will behave.

While speaking in the post-match presser, Rahul Dravid said, “Curators make the pitches. We don't ask for rank turners. Tracks in India would spin, how much they'll spin, how less they'll spin, how much. I'm not an expert, obviously, wickets in India in the course of four or five days, they do turn but how much they're going to turn. I sometimes get told they'll turn on the third day, but they turn on the first day. Sometimes I get told they'll turn on the second day and they don't turn till day four."

He further added, "So I'm sometimes as clueless as anybody else. We look at the wicket and we try and do the best we can on what we get. We go to Rajkot, we'll see what we can get and play with whatever we get in front of.”