“If I was watching a Test match, I would want it to go longer than two days” - Jack Leach
Sharing his views on the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad, England left-arm spinner Jack Leach said that, from a cricket fan’s perspective, a Test match is expected to last beyond two days.
The pink-ball Test between India and England ended in less than two days, with both sides struggling to deal with the slow bowlers. Ever since, there has been a raging debate over the nature of the surface.
However, speaking at a virtual press conference on Monday, Jack Leach said that, irrespective of the nature of the pitch, two-day Tests are not much fun. The 29-year-old said in this regard:
"One thing I will say as a cricket fan if I was watching a Test match, I would want it to go longer than two days, that is my only kind of viewing being a cricket fan.... Test match should go on longer than two days, whether that is to the pitch or skill, for me, I am fully concentrating how can I best do on every wicket I play on.”
Jack Leach, however, admitted India outplayed England on the strip that was on offer in Ahmedabad. India registered a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph after the visitors were rolled over for 112 and 81 in their two innings.
"They outbowled us on that wicket. Ashwin is a world-class bowler. Axar was very good on that wicket. All the talk has been in the media, in the dressing room, we just talk about getting better,” observed Jack Leach.
I do not have too much to say about the pitch: Jack Leach.
Even as the controversy over the Ahmedabad pitch refuses to subside, with former England cricketers Michael Vaughan and Monty Panesar criticising the surface, Jack Leach offered a different take.
The left-arm spinner opined that it is all about learning in tough conditions, both for him and the team, saying in this regard:
"I do not have too much to say about the pitch; we got outplayed in those conditions and for me, I am always looking to learn. That's the great thing about our group. We are all in this mindset. and we want to learn from what has been a couple of hard games and put in a good performance; so yeah, it was tough, even being a spinner on that wicket comes with tough moments.”
Jack Leach continued:
"Their spinners bowled really well. I do not think we should take anything away from them by saying bad things about the wicket. I do not have any issues with the pitch from a playing point of view. There is a lot of talk on the outside. and I am not wanting to get involved in that. That is a distraction to me; all I want to focus is on being the best I can be in any game I play for Somerset or England," Jack Leach concluded.
The hosts are 2-1 up in the four-match series. They only need to avoid defeat in the final Test in Ahmedabad, which starts on March 4, to progress to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) at Lord's.