IND vs ENG: Vivian Richards urged England to stop “Moaning and Groaning” over pitches

Among the debate over the third Test pitch, West Indies great Vivian Richards knocked England for complaining about the spinning wicket and also added that he wants to see a same track in the final Test of the series. However, India beat England within two days in the pink-ball Test. The match saw both India and England batsmen neglecting to shine and getting out to balls that didn’t divert and skipped through from the spinners. But critics have looked to blame the pitch for the failure of the batsmen.

Indian batsmen Rohit Sharma explained that he didn’t think the pitch had any demons. Indeed, even captain Virat Kohli was vocal about the frightful batting show from the two squads. Spinner R Ashwin also echoed the sentiments.

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Vivian Richards said on the video he posted on Facebook, “I have been asked questions recently about the Test match that was played in India, the second and third match against England. And I am little confused about the questions really because there seems to be a lot of moaning and groaning about the wicket that they were playing on.”

“I just felt that ones who are moaning, according to me, should realise that there are times that you’re going to get a seaming track, a ball that is basically jumping off a good length and everyone thinks that’s a problem for batter. There are times batters sometimes cope with that.

“Yet now you have seen the other side, and this is why I think it was given the name Test match cricket, because of the Test of the mind and will and everything else that goes with it when you are competing. And the complaints have been that the wicket is spinning too much and all that sorts of stuff.”

“People seem to forgot that if you’re going to India, you should expect that. You are going to spin land. You should basically prepare yourself to know what you are going to encounter rather than complaining, especially just recently how quickly that Test match was over.

“It also gives England an opportunity and a chance to assess things, to believe that for some reason the wicket that they are going to encounter in the fourth Test is going to be the same.

Richards added, “If I was India or I had anything to do with the preparations of the wicket, I would bring in very much the same.”

He said, “Ever since that first Test, England were in their comfort Zone. They have now been taken out of their comfort zone at the present and they have got to find ways and means to cope with what they are going to encounter.”

“Spin in all part of the match, this is what a Test match brings. The Indian pacers have been brilliant over the past few years in the terms of substances, wicket-taking ability and stuff like that, but now that you are in India, you are going to encounter things and have got to find a way. There is nothing I have got to score my runs in pretty, classical ways,” he said.

“I just believe all the moaning and groaning has got to stop and just see the classical side of things in terms of the Indian armoury. And from where I am sitting, it’s good to see,” Richards signed off.