Indian pacers have to up their game to help the spinners, says Sourav Ganguly

11/11/2016

Sourav Ganguly has called for India's pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Shami to lift their game in order to avoid over-reliance on the spinners. Ganguly stressed the importance of preparing good Indian pitches for the Indian team to improve their overseas performances.

"On a Day 1 pitch like this (Rajkot), the fast bowlers need to come into play. That's why I keep harping that play on good pitches in India, so that you learn how to play overseas," Sourav Ganguly told ESPNcricinfo, about the Indian bowlers' performance in the first Test against England.

The Bengal batsman also said that one cannot expect the Indian spinners to do all the job when the team plays on a good surface.

"No point just tossing the ball upto the spinners and pitches which turn square from Day 1. You win and go home. It doesn't help anyone and it doesn't help this young side. I am happy that they are going through this grind. It's a young side. You don't need to win Test match in 3 days, you need to win Test matches in five days, you still won a Test match," he was categorical in his assessment.

Ganguly pointed at the pitches prepared in India for the series against South Africa (2015) and Australia (2013), terming them as “absolute minefields", to be prepared more often in order to help the team with their performances on foreign soil.

"It's still early days in this match but I completely agree that pitches against Australia and South Africa were absolute minefields. I remember the Test match in Delhi (vs Australia) where it ended in 3 days. You can't produce Test pitches like these. I believe what's happening is good for Indian cricket."

Ganguly also felt that more involvement of the pacers will help to ease burden off Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"We played South Africa. Four Tests on minefields and it doesn't help anyone. If India play 5 Test matches on good pitches and Anil Kumble gets Shami, Yadav and Ishant to pick three wickets on the first day, India will become a better side. Because you don't expect Ravichandran Ashwin or a Ravindra Jadeja on a flat pitch against a good batting side to pick five wickets. They might do it once or twice but it is impossible for them to do it consistently," he stated.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President was also impressed by Virat Kohli since the Indian skipper has not for once asked for a turning pitch when India played against New Zealand at Kolkata.

"They played against New Zealand, I got no request from anyone. When Kohli met me, he asked me about the pitch, I said, "There's a bit of grass on it. I kept watching him, what he did, first hand, three days that they were training. These are signs that will help them get better," Ganguly said.

Indian pacers have to up their game to help the spinners, says Sourav Ganguly

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