'Don't call it a home Test just because...': R Ashwin backs calls of permanent Test centres in India
Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has called for having permanent Test centres in India amid criticism of venues like Ahmedabad, which opened to empty stands recently against the West Indies and Guwahati, which is set to host its first-ever Test against South Africa next month. Using Guwahati as an example, Ashwin elaborated on his point of India not having a home advantage on a venue like Guwahati, where the hosts will also get to play a Test match for the first time, having no clue as to what kind of surface and conditions will be produced.
"In Guwahati, when you play South Africa, maybe India will play well and trouble South Africa. But just because it’s a part of the Indian map, it doesn’t automatically become a true home game for India. I see it as an away game for India within India. Because we have not played a lot of Test matches at such venues. As the home team, we didn’t know what to expect. I am talking from that perspective," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel after the conclusion of the West Indies series.
Ashwin gave an example of how South Africa have restricted Test cricket to just Centurion and Johannesburg and sometimes Durban, while Australia and England both have a maximum of six Test venues each. Hence, playing at over 15-16 venues, some including Guwahati for the first time, might not always feel like a home game, according to Ashwin.
"India needs to have standard Test centres. When we tour South Africa, when was the last time they scheduled a Test in Port Elizabeth? That’s because the ball spins there, and South Africa doesn’t want India to have any kind of advantage. Apart from Centurion and Wanderers, India rarely gets to play anywhere else in South Africa. Yes, there was one recent Test in Durban, but we haven’t played there again since losing a match there," Ashwin said.
"Should we have standard Test centres? They already exist in countries like Australia, England, and South Africa. These nations consistently use the same venues for Test cricket. In India, however, when you play in multiple Test centres, it doesn’t always feel like a home game for India," he further added.
In 2019, the then Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli had also called for earmarking five-six Test centres at home as well, to ensure a consistent amount of spectators at the games, while the players being accustomed to playing at those venues and not having to adjust to newer conditions at venues outside the likes of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
