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Debasis Sen, Chelmsford: Team India Head Coach squashed all the reports about the practice match being reduced to three days here. The Indians were scheduled to play a four-day practice match against reigning county champions Essex but it got curtailed to three days. “When ….. reports come out they have to be cleared. There was no complaint from the Indian management about nothing. Remember one thing; on this entire trip you will never see this team giving an excuse as regards to condition and the pitch. Our challenge is to beat them. We take pride in wherever we go. We want to be the best traveling side in the world. So, the last person who will make a complaint will be this Indian team,” said Shastri talking with the visiting journalists here at Chelmsford. The team management clarified the decision to play a three days practice match instead of four which was scheduled earlier. On being asked why instead of playing a four days match it was decided to play a three-day match, Shastri said, “It was because of the logistics that were prevailing. We had an opportunity to practice three days in Birmingham i.e., the venue of the test match. If we had played four days here we would have lost one day because of traveling.” “It is the prerogative of the visiting team to decide whether they want to play a two-days or three days match. So it was decided yesterday. When we came at the ground yesterday we had a chat. Once they explained that the tickets were sold we decided to play three-day game. We even wanted to have a two-day match and practiced on the third day,” said Shastri on the sidelines of Essex County Cricket Ground. He further added, “The key was to getting in there (Edgbaston) into the test match venue because it wouldn’t have served our purpose here. Instead of having an extra day here it will be more advisable to have an extra practice session at the venue in order to get more familiarity and the conditions.” Rubbishing the reports about the green top here at the county, Shastri said, “The pitch is good and there is nothing wrong with the pitch here. The groundsmen asked me whether you want the grass to be taken off, I said no as it was their prerogative to give whatever wickets they feel like.”