England vs India 2018: Ravi Shastri asked groundsmen to leave grass on the pitch for tour match against Essex

Indian Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed that he had asked the groundsmen to leave grass on the wicket for India's tour match against Essex which started yesterday (25th July). He clarified that the Indian team management had no qualms about the conditions and the pitch on offer.

Shastri then added that none of the India players or support staff would raise questions on the conditions in England throughout the Test series.

“There was no complaint from the Indian management about anything. On this entire trip, you will never see an Indian team giving excuses with regards to conditions or the pitch,” he said.

The head coach revealed that the groundsman had asked him whether to leave grass on the pitch or not.

“The pitch? It is good. The grounds man asked me there was enough grass on, do you want the grass to be taken off? I said absolutely not. It is your prerogative. What you give us, we play. I said leave it. There was grass there, so don’t take anything off.

“Our challenge is to beat the opposition. We take pride in performing wherever we go. We want to be the best travelling side in the word. So the last person who will make a complaint will be this Indian team,” he added.

Hinting about how oppositions raise questions on the subcontinent pitches, Shastri went on to say that he would refrain from questioning the pitch and conditions outside the subcontinent and the opponents should do the same when they tour India.

"My philosophy is very simple - (in) your country, I don't ask questions (about the pitch). You don’t ask questions when you come to my country,” he said.

India were positioned at 322/6 at the end of first day of the three-day tour match against Essex. As many as four Indian batsmen completed their half-century - Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik. Karthik is currently unbeaten on 82 while Hardik Pandya is not-out on 33.