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'250 chases look stiff' - Ravichandran Ashwin praises Puducherry pitches for ODIs

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lauded the challenging pitches at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, calling them ideal for One-Day Internationals. In the ongoing unofficial ODI series between India A and Australia A, the surfaces have made even modest totals like 250 difficult to chase, forcing batters to rely on tactical thinking over brute aggression.

Australia A has dominated the series so far, winning the first two matches comfortably—posting 274 and 275 before restricting India A to 149 and 206, respectively. The visitors have defended totals below 300 in both games, with only one century and five half-centuries recorded across the first five innings, underscoring the pitch’s difficulty for run-scoring.

Ashwin’s remarks come amid contrasting conditions in recent high-scoring ODIs, such as India’s series against the West Indies, where batters thrived on more batting-friendly pitches. While Australia A’s bowlers have thrived in Puducherry, the debate over ODI pitch standards continues, with Ashwin advocating for surfaces that reward technique and patience over pure powerplay.

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