'We have been saying that...': Rohit Sharma shuts Ben Stokes and other English players for constant comments on Ranchi pitch after India clinch series

After India rode on the young shoulders of Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel to secure a hard-fought five-run win against England in the fourth Test match in Ranchi on February 26, captain Rohit Sharma addressed the constant chatter around the Ranchi pitch. Rohit brushed aside all the comments made on the Ranchi pitch by English captain Ben Stokes and vice-captain Ollie Pope and reiterated that on a pitch where a batter scored a century, another batter scored a 90 while two others scored half-centuries, then it is a 'fine' wicket. 

"One hundred, one 90 and two fifties on the pitch. We shouldn’t focus how the pitch looks like… we have been saying that pitches in India turn. Batters who applied themselves scored runs. Root scored, Jurel scored…If you can play 150+ balls, wicket is fine," Rohit was quoted as saying in the press conference after the match.

What did Ben Stokes say on Ranchi's pitch?

Ahead of the Ranchi Test, Ben Stokes was dumbfounded after he looked at the Ranchi pitch and said "never encountered anything like it before."

"I've never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so I don't know what could happen. If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India. It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different: very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it," Stokes had told BBC Sport before the Ranchi Test began.

India win Ranchi Test by 5 wickets, take 3-1 lead in series

On the back of half-centuries from captain Rohit and stylish batter Shubman Gill in the fourth innings, India chased down the tricky target of 192 runs with five wickets intact. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel made a useful contribution of an unbeaten 39 runs under tremendous pressure. As a result, India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. 

 

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