Published 16:25 IST, February 24th 2021
Kevin Pietersen pokes Team India over toss at Motera, repeats attack on pitch before play
Taking another sarcastic dig at the pitch, Pietersen poked fun at Team India as Virat Kohli lost the toss to English skipper Joe Root on Wednesday.
Even before the beginning of the third Test at the Narendra Modi stadium, former cricketer Kevin Pietersen reiterated his attack over pitches in India. Taking another sarcastic dig at the pitch, Pietersen poked fun at Team India as Virat Kohli lost the toss to English skipper Joe Root on Wednesday. Referring to the second Test where India won the toss and went on to win the match as well, the former England batsman quipped that he hopes the wicket at Ahmedabad does not tip the scales towards the team winning the toss.
"Oops India, I hope that this wicket is not a 'Win Toss, Win Match' one," Pietersen tweeted in Hindi.
Earlier during the second Test, Kevin Pietersen had joined the chorus against the turning Chepauk pitch as boldly claimed that India would have lost the second Test as well had skipper Virat Kohli lost the toss. Taking to Twitter, Pietersen remarked that it is such a 'brave wicket' to prepare for a Test in India when the hosts are already one match down in the series.
England suffer early blows
Winning the toss for the third Test of the series, Joe Root chose to bat first at the newly-built Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, putting Team India to field. Playing his 100th international Test, Ishant Sharma swung into action early as he dismissed Dominic Sibley for a duck. Local boy Axar Patel didn't hold back either as he trapped Jonny Bairstow for a duck as well, bagging the second wicket for India within the first 10 overs of the lone day-night Test of the series. After 20 overs, England are 67/2 with skipper Joe Root and Zak Crawley rebuilding the innings.
Both the teams seem to have read the surface differently as England have fielded three seamers whereas India have opted for the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma only. Kuldeep Yadav has been dropped after the second Test while Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar have been brought in along with Axar Patel to lead the spin attack. For England, Jofra Archer has returned after missing out on the second Test due to injury whereas veteran pacers Stuart Broad and James Anderson have also returned together for the pink-ball Test.
Crowd allowed at Motera
The BCCI has allowed 50% of the stadium to be filled by fans of the day/night Test. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the tickets of the 3rd Test at the Motera have been completely sold out already. The fourth and final Test will also be held at the Motera stadium itself owing to the COVID-19 restrictions. Moreover, the entire 5-match T20 series will also be held in Ahmedabad.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the third Test, skipper Kohli said, "Crowd plays a massive role. The crowd really gets behind us, the difference of which we saw in the second Test. You know the Opposition does feel the pressure. When you go to play in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, anywhere; I have experienced that as a batsman when you are walking into the field and 30,000 fans are booing you or clapping when the bowler is running in to bowl. It does play on your head."
Updated 16:25 IST, February 24th 2021