"There is literally no bounce…" Ravi Ashwin backs Virat Kohli's vision of only five test centres across India for home games

Ravi Ashwin also reckoned that the selected test centres should have the best pitches.

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Virat Kohli’s vision for standard test centres across the country for home matches of the Indian Cricket Team. In 2019, Kohli had stated that India should have only five test centres across the country for home games like in England and Australia.

Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket in December 2024, also added that the selected test centres should have the best pitches that provide the home advantage. Notably, after India’s victory against West Indies in the second test by seven wickets on Tuesday, October 14, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir slammed the pitch conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Gambhir said during the post-match press conference that the wicket offered no support to pacers and advocated for better pitches for home test matches. After his comments, the pitch debate for home test matches has become a talk of the town in the Indian cricket fraternity, and Ashwin has also shared his opinion on the matter.

There is literally no bounce in the Eastern part of the country: Ravi Ashwin

While speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat,’ Ashwin supported the idea of having standard test match centres in India. He also added that selected test centres should provide the home advantage and have the best pitches.

“Test centres is not about crowds alone. It is also about familiarity of conditions. If we are playing a Test in Guwahati or Ranchi, I am not against these venues as a possibility. But the problem in India is every surface has a different identity. There is literally no bounce in the Eastern part of the country. It becomes a very ordinary Test match pitch then,” he said.

“Make sure whichever Test centre you decide has the best pitches. Some venues are better than others only because the pitches are better and the team is used to conditions. That is home advantage. Otherwise the only point is you are playing within that Indian map as home, but is not home,” he added.

I don’t think anyone in the Indian team has played a First-Class game in Guwahati: Ravi Ashwin

Ashwin recalled how Kohli urged having standard test centres a few years ago. He also raised doubts about Guhawati hosting test matches in India. The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati is scheduled to host the second test match between India and South Africa next month.

“Eden Gardens, Guwahati – playing against South Africa there, should there be standard Test centres? Virat said years ago they must be fixed. I personally think it’s about time, why did we make Test centres? So more cricketers could emerge, and their associations would get more funding. But Guwahati as a Test match is not a home game for either team, and I don’t think anyone in the Indian team has played a first-class game in Guwahati,” Ashwin said.

“We’ve been discussing this for a long time now, and in my opinion we should have five Test centres, period. I mean, I agree [with] state associations and rotation and giving games and all that, that is fine for T20 and one-day cricket, but Test cricket, teams coming to India should know, ‘we’re going to play at these five centres, these are the pitches we’re going to expect, these are the kind of people that will come to watch, crowds,” the 39-year-old concluded.

Meanwhile, India registered a 2-0 clean sweep against the West Indies in the recent test series. India defeated West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first test and by seven wickets in the second test. Their next assignment in test cricket is a two-match series against South Africa, scheduled to be played in November.

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