Published 22:23 IST, February 23rd 2021
Motera pitch worries Joe Root? England skipper & coach engage in lengthy chat on match eve
The duo waso seen having a long chat after having analyzed the surface with Joe Root even walking to the wicket and tapping it to get a sense of how hard it is
With the World Test Championship's finale berth on the line, India and England will lock horns tomorrow in the day-night Test of the 4-match series at the grand Motera stadium. Both the teams cannot afford a defeat in either of the remaining matches in order to play the final at the Lord's against New Zealand. Amidst the noise over Indian pitches and with so much to play for, England's captain Joe Root and head coach Chris Silverwood were seen intensely scrutinizing the pitch at the Motera stadium on eve of the third Test match.
The duo was also seen having a long chat after having analyzed the surface with Joe Root even walking to the wicket and tapping it to get a sense of how hard the wicket is. From early pictures, the pitch seems to have a covering of grass in the middle hinting at assistance for seamers, especially with the pink ball swinging a lot more than the regular red ball. A lot has already been said about the swinging pink ball and how it could provide England a bit of edge over India going into the match expecting seaming conditions.
However, a lot depends on the pitch curator. While there have been speculations that the Men in Blue would like to have dry conditions to gain the home advantage, the curator might chop off the thin layer of grass over the wicket in order to do so.
Rohit Sharma blasts critics
Quashing the intense arguments over the turning Chepauk pitch and the surfaces in India, Rohit Sharma on Sunday said that all teams across the globe prepare wickets to suit them and gain a home advantage. The limited-overs vice-captain asserted that the pitch remains the same for both the teams and discussions should be on the performance rather than the wickets. Earlier, England skipper Joe Root had also admitted that the pitch had no part to play in their defeat in the second Test.
Addressing the press ahead of the third Test at Motera, Rohit Sharma said, "The pitch is the same for both the teams. I don't understand the discussion over this. Both the teams are playing on the same pitch yet people are discussing how the pitch should be. For years, pitches in India have been like this and I don't think there have been any changes or if there should be any changes. Every team uses the home advantage. When we go abroad, the same thing happens."
- India's squad for the final two Tests:
Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Umesh Yadav
- England squad for Third Test:
Joe Root (C), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Updated 22:23 IST, February 23rd 2021