Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has commended the pitch in Puducherry for creating a balanced playing field for both batsmen and bowlers in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
He believes that such pitches should be the standard for ODIs.
While observing the ongoing unofficial ODI series between India A and Australia A at the Puducherry Siechem Ground, Ashwin noted that the conditions could challenge batsmen more effectively.
On X (formerly Twitter), Ashwin remarked, “It appears that Puducherry is producing pitches where ODIs should be played. Chasing a target of 250 runs seems tough. Creating such pitches will raise expectations from the batsmen, enhancing their strategic thinking and game awareness.”
In the current unofficial ODI series, scores below 300 have been easily defendable. Australia A set a target of 274 runs in the first ODI, subsequently bowling out India A for just 149, winning by 125 runs.
In the second match, Australia A scored 275 runs, and India A was bowled out for 206, giving Australia A a 69-run victory. This performance allowed the Australian team to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with one game remaining.
The trend continued in the third match, where India A managed to score 275 runs in their innings. Notably, only one century has been scored in the series so far, achieved by Australian batsman Nathan McSweeney in the first match.
Ashwin’s comments come at a time when the Indian team is facing challenges in a T20 series against the . In the second T20 held in Ranchi, India scored 249 runs yet lost the match, while during the ODI series in Guwahati, they faced defeat despite scoring 405 runs in the second ODI. These results have sparked discussions about pitch conditions.