Image Credit- PTI
In Visakhapatnam, on a surface that resembles that of
a typical subcontinent, India will be attempting to tie the five-match Test
series against England.
When these two teams previously faced off in a series
on the subcontinent, an unexpected outcome led to surfaces that were
significantly weighted towards spin. That series’ pink-ball encounter concluded
in two days. It’s the shortest Test match India has ever hosted.
However, there has been a notably diminished emphasis
on the pitches this time around. Hyderabad generated almost 1000 runs at a
solid rate even though it appeared to have been watered selectively, with the
good-length section of the pitch appearing rougher than the rest.
And Visakhapatnam will probably be even better for
batting. Ben Stokes at the press conference on the eve of the game said,
“It might be a good wicket for maybe a day or two. But out here in India
and other parts of the subcontinent, you tend to see it start to spin more and
more as the Test goes deeper and deeper. Even though it does look like there’s
a little bit more moisture in there, with the heat – and today is very hot
again – any footholes and stuff like that might come into play the further the
Test goes.
“It might play a little bit better initially than
it did last week [in Hyderabad], but we don’t like to go in with too many
preconceived ideas. We like to have some kind of idea because obviously that’s
how we pick the team, then we just play what’s in front of us.”
India has already suffered defeats at home against
top-tier teams, most notably on the first day in Indore when Australia bowled
them out for 109 in 33.2 overs. Although he had only played in 14 first-class
matches in his career up to that time, Matthew Kuhnemann picked up five wickets
in nine overs.
The fact that India are getting one over on a team
that will be led by debutant Shoaib Bashir, who has ten first-class wickets to
his credit, may indicate that they are putting their faith in the quality of
their spin bowling to extract more out of a pitch that might not be as
responsive as some of those in the past.