Overview

• Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 106-Test veteran said venue selection should prioritise player familiarity and the best pitches, highlighting wide regional differences and low bounce in the east.
• His comments follow India’s 2-0 home win over the West Indies, where poor turnout and pitch criticism — including from head coach Gautam Gambhir — resurfaced concerns about red-ball venues.
• Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium will host its maiden Test against South Africa from November 22–26, which Ashwin argued is effectively not a home game given India’s lack of first-class experience there.
• Ashwin pointed to Australia, England and South Africa using consistent Test venues and aligned himself with Kohli’s earlier call to fix a small number of Indian centres.
• No BCCI decision has been reported, but Ashwin’s intervention has renewed discussion ahead of next month’s South Africa series.