Rohit Sharma has criticized the ICC and match referees for what he perceives as inconsistent standards in rating pitches. Following their victory in the shortest Test match ever played, which was largely influenced by a pitch heavily favoring seam bowlers, Rohit expressed his strong disapproval of the criticism directed towards pitches in India that do not offer long matches. A total of 23 wickets fell on the first day of the match, with the home team being dismissed for a mere 55 runs, while the visiting team managed to score 153 runs before losing all their wickets. In the second innings, India also lost three more wickets while chasing the target in just 12 overs. Rohit also expressed his disagreement with individuals who frequently criticize Indian pitches, labeling them as “dust bowls.”
“I think it’s important that we stay neutral everywhere we go. Especially the match referees. You know, some of these match referees need to keep their eye on how they rate pitches. It’s quite important. I still can’t believe that the World Cup final pitch was rated below average. A batsman got a hundred there in the final. How can that be a poor pitch? So these are the things the ICC, the match referees, they need to look into and start rating pitches based on what they see, not based on the countries. I think that’s quite important. So I hope they keep their ears open, they keep their eyes open and look into those aspects of the game. Honestly, I’m all for pitches like this. We want to challenge playing on pitches like this. We pride ourselves playing on pitches like this. Uh, but all I wanna say is be neutral.”