India and England are all set to lock horns in the 4th match of the 5-match Test series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The Rohit Sharma-led side already have an edge in the series, having won 2 of the 3 matches so far, and will be looking to swing the series in their favour in the fourth encounter starting on 23 February.
But is an India-England Test series ever complete without some controversy surrounding the pitch? In the past, India have opted for spinning pitches that trouble the batsmen and give the spinners an edge. However, this strategy seemed to backfire in the first match of the series as the spin friendly Hyderabad surface helped England’s inexperienced spinners get into the game. There was a marked change in strategy from the next game, with better prepared pitches in Rajkot and Vishakhapatnam.
However, with Jasprit Bumrah set to miss the 4th Test in Ranchi, there may be a change in strategy for India, and Ben Stokes’ early comments on the matter suggest this may be the case.
Raising questions about the Rajkot pitch, Ben Stokes said ( as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo), “It looked interesting, didn’t it? I don’t know. I can’t say much. I don’t know, I’ve never seen something like that before so I have no idea. I don’t know what could happen,”
“If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India. It looked green and grassy up in the changing-rooms, but then you go out there, it looked different. Very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it.” Stokes added.
India coach responds to Ben Stokes’ claims:
Speaking on the issue of Ranchi pitch, Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour said, “It’s a typical Indian wicket, there are cracks, this wicket always had cracks…It will turn, but how much it will turn and from when we are not sure. We have enough balance in our team to go whichever way we want to go.”
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Published: 22 Feb 2024, 02:18 PM IST