‘You lost the World Cup final also due to your obsession with the pitch’ – Aakash Chopra advocates for neutral pitch in first India-England Test

Akash Chopra and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC, Parveen Negi/The India Today Group via Getty Images)

Indian cricket enthusiasts and experts alike are all gearing up for the much-anticipated Test series between India and England, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has weighed in with a piece of advice for the host team viz – ‘steer clear of preparing rank turners’.

In a preview, Chopra raised concerns about the potential downsides of fixating on pitch conditions. He pointed out that the pitch’s nature could be a decisive factor, questioning whether preparing rank turners is the right approach. According to him, this obsession with pitch conditions had negative consequences in the past, notably in the World Cup final, where favouring a particular pitch ultimately led to India’s defeat. Besides, Chopra urged the team management to focus on a result-oriented pitch rather than a surface that heavily favours the home side.

“The match has a few big threads. The biggest thread is how the pitch should be. Should rank turners be made? I am saying and have been saying for a long time – you lost the World Cup final also due to your obsession with the pitch. Preparing a pitch favouring you cost you the finals,” Chopra said in his YouTube video.

“You might say this is a different format. It’s not about the format but the habit. You become complacent. Just give one instruction to the curator – make a pitch that yields a result. It shouldn’t be a road-like pitch,” he further added.

The scales are tilted toward India and they will only win this series: Chopra

While acknowledging India‘s superior strength in a man-to-man comparison, Aakash Chopra raised concerns about England’s spin attack. He predicted a comprehensive win for India in the series but questioned England’s ability to take 20 wickets, particularly due to their perceived weakness in spin bowling.

“The scales are obviously tilted towards India and they will only win this series. The question is whether it would be 4-0, 5-0 or 4-1. However, which match will they (England) win and how will they take 20 wickets because the spin attack is extremely weak,” the former Indian opener continued.

“I don’t see any might in the spin bowling. So, if you don’t make turning pitches, you can score 500 runs against them at least thrice over the course of the series and maybe more. I feel you will win this series easily,” Chopra concluded.

Highlighting the absence of Harry Brook and labelling the series as a significant test for Ben Stokes, both as a batter and captain, Chopra provided a unique perspective on the upcoming clash between India and England.