Former Indian opener issued a stern warning to the Indian Test team ahead of their first game of a two-match series against West Indies to be played in Ahmedabad from Thursday, October 2. While the Indian Test team will start the series against West Indies as favorites, Chopra recalled how the hosts were battered 3-0 by New Zealand in their own backyward last year.
Aakash Chopra also understands the importance of it being a World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and wants to bag a perfect score by winning both the Tests. Shubman Gill and co. recently drew their previous Test series against England 2-2.
Speaking on JioHotstar`s show `Game Plan` ahead of the India vs West Indies Test series, here`s what Aakash Chopra had to say:
“This is the new cycle of the WTC, where India just finished their first series with a 2-2 draw. It was a tough assignment, but Shubman Gill’s team performed very well, going above expectations, and now the aim is to build on that. Next up, are two Tests against the West Indies. This is Test cricket; no one should take it lightly. The West Indies Test side is very competent, but India will again start as favourites. Still, you can’t afford to slip here. We’ve already slipped once, and the memories of New Zealand are still fresh. With a new cycle underway, every series carries huge importance. Since this is only a two-match series, winning both can give you a 100% result in your zone. The opportunity is massive, and I believe the Indian team is ready.”
Aakash Chopra also warned the Indian team about not dishing out absolute rank turners against in the Test series. He believes the hosts made the same grave mistake against New Zealand and had to pay dearly. According to Chopra, the gulf of quality between the two teams decreases if India dishes out spinning tracks.
“I feel that the pitches that play well should be used. If they go towards turning tracks, then two teams come very close to each other, and even inferior spinners can punch above their weight. We saw this in the New Zealand series as well. Another truth is that we don’t play spin as well as we used to in the past. If the spin is on a good pitch, then we bowl better than their spinners and bat better as well, and I feel we should build on that strength. You don’t have to give flat pitches; you need results because the WTC is very important. But sometimes your strength turns into your weakness, so I feel we should stay away from that,” Chopra concluded.