Ben Stokes, the skipper of the England cricket team, expressed surprise at the pitch prepared for the fourth Test match against India in Ranchi, stating that he had never encountered anything like it before. The upcoming match, starting on Friday, holds crucial significance for the visitors as they currently trail 1-2 in the five-match series and need a victory to secure the series win.
Stokes remarked in a recent interview that he initially thought the Ranchi pitch had a substantial grass covering from a distance, but upon closer inspection, he discovered numerous visible cracks, suggesting potential challenges for both batsmen and bowlers. Vice-captain Ollie Pope stated that England wouldn’t object to a turning pitch for the fourth Test, as early assistance to spinners would create a balanced playing field.
Ben’s Take On Ranchi 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. 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 said in an interview.
Ben Stokes on Pitch ” It looked interesting, didn’t it ? I don’t know. I Can’t say much.I have never seen Something like this before so I have no idea.I don’t know what could happen. One side is completely opposite of the other end ” pic.twitter.com/M95jNz5BmB
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) February 22, 2024
On Wednesday, vice-captain Ollie Pope stated that England would welcome a rank turner for the fourth Test match. He explained that providing assistance to spinners right from the start would create a fair and balanced playing field for both teams.
“If it does spin from ball one, it takes the toss out of the equation, then it’s an even playing field,” Pope told reporters.
“A lot of the time the wicket starts out flat and then deteriorates. We won the first game batting first, India the last two batting first. It doesn’t define the result if you bat first on slightly flatter wicket but it does give you an advantage,” he added.
The Test matches held in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Rajkot featured sporting pitches that were not primarily spin-friendly. Instead, they offered something for every type of player, ensuring a balanced contest between bat and ball.
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