Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour shares his two cents on the Ranchi pitch ahead of IND vs ENG 4th Test. His comments come at a time when there is clamor around the pitch being ‘spin friendly’. Rathour notes that there is a question mark on the pitch every time a game is played in India.
Rathour’s take on Ranchi pitch for IND vs ENG 4th Test
“Every time we play in India, there’s question mark on pitch. It’s a typical Indian wicket. There are cracks. It will turn. But how much and from when we aren’t sure,” Rathour says in a pre-match press conference.
England have had quite some things to say about the pitch as well. Their batters, led by Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, meticulously inspected the pitch, raising questions about its nature.
England skipper Ben Stokes was one of the first to voice concern, having been baffled on seeing the pitch.
“I’ve never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so 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,” Stokes told BBC.
“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.”
England vice-captain Pope acknowledges the turn factor, stating, “You expect the ball to turn in India,” but the crucial question remains: when and how much? He even admitted that a genuine turner wouldn’t elicit complaints, hinting at an acceptance of potentially challenging conditions.
