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[Saba Sports News] England opening batsman Zak Crawley provided insights into the conditions expected for the second test of the ongoing five-match series against India, commencing on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. After England’s 28-run victory over the hosts at Hyderabad in the first Test, there are anticipations that India might prepare a more spin-friendly track.
Crawley revealed that the pitch at Vizag currently boasts some grass and appears to be in better condition compared to the one at Hyderabad.
“So, this wicket looks a bit better to seam, according to the guys, I haven’t seen it, like I said, but that’s what they said. It’s just a bit damper, I think here it seems like they’re a bit greener, so we’ll see what happens there,” Crawley said as quoted by News18.
Reflecting on England’s batting strategy, Crawley emphasized the significance of sweeping and reverse sweeping against spinning deliveries, particularly in conditions where the ball turns sharply. He highlighted the effectiveness of these shots in neutralizing spin, citing Ollie Pope’s adept use of the sweep in the previous match.
“I think sweeping and reverse sweeping when it’s spinning is a good option. It takes the spin out of it, kind of. If you can get to the pitch, bit like Pope did so well. And I think the reverse sweep is more common for us because there are just fewer fields there. They always seem to have two men out on the leg side. If they had two men out on the offside, we’d probably play the sweep; kind of just trying to hit in the gaps and the sweep, their reverse sweep comes probably just as naturally to us as a normal sweep,” he added.
Providing an update on spinner Jack Leach, who sustained an injury during the series-opener, Crawley mentioned that the former is known for his resilience, and the team management will assess his injury before the start of the second Test.
“He’s a tough kid, though, Leachy. So, I’m not sure. You can never know with Jack, so we’ll see in a couple of days. But, yeah, you can never really ride him. So we’ll see how he pulls up,” Crawley concluded.