"Let people talk whatever they want"- Ajinkya Rahane slams pitch critics

India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has followed teammates Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin by rubbishing comments about the supposed 'unsporting' nature of Indian pitches.

Many former England players like Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, to name a few, criticised the rank-turners on offer for the second and third Tests, deeming them to be unsuitable for Test cricket.

However, in the pre-match press conference ahead of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad, Ajinkya Rahane said that Team India ignored such perceptions. The 32-year-old instead took a dig at pundits who question the technique of Indian batsmen in overseas conditions and do not talk about the pitches in those cases.

"These comments do not affect us in the dressing room. Let people talk whatever they want to. When we travel overseas, no one talks about the seaming wickets. Everyone then wants to have an opinion on Indian batsmen's techniques. I don't think anyone of us takes these comments seriously," Ajinkya Rahane said.

"The Motera pitch for the Fourth Test Match look similar to the Third One." - Ajinkya Rahane

— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) March 2, 2021

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"I don't think spinning wickets are dangerous" - Ajinkya Rahane

Motera pitch

Ajinkya Rahane opined that a pitch can be deemed unfit for Test cricket only when it is dangerous for players. In this regard, he talked about pitches with variable bounce Team India have experienced in the recent past on their travels.

However, the 32-year-old stressed that the team has never complained about the same. He also observed that turning wickets do not endanger the safety of players.

"You see, when we go overseas, the wicket on the first day is damp. Later, it gets a bit up and down and dangerous for batting. However, we have never complained about it. I don't think spinning wickets are dangerous," Ajinkya Rahane asserted.

With Team India 2-1 up in the series, another turner could be on offer in the fourth Test.

Team India cannot afford to lose the fourth Test, as it would end their hopes of making the inaugural World Test Championship Final at the Lord's.

Training ✅@Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/G7GCV1EA8U

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 1, 2021

Interestingly, Team India's losses against England in Mumbai (2012) and Australia in Pune (2017) happened on rank-turners, something the visitors would be mindful of.