The Pitch In Final Test Would Be Similar To The 3rd And 2nd Test: Ajinkya Rahane

Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has said that the pitch in the fourth and final Test of the series against England will be similar to the ones that were rolled out in the second and third Test in Chennai and Ahmedabad respectively

Ever since India rolled out a raging turner in the second Test, all the talk surrounding the India-England series has been about what constitutes a good Test match pitch. The hullabaloo reached its crescendo when the home side mauled the Joe Root-led visitors by ten wickets in what turned out to be the shortest Test match since World War II.

As many as 28 out of 30 wickets fell to spin as the likes of Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jack Leach, and even Joe Root, who claimed the cheapest five-wicket-haul by a spinner in Test history-ran riot.

Leading into the final Test, once again the narrative has been around the nature of the pitch that the curator will dish out in what is a crucial Test for the home team as far as their chances of making it to the ICC Test Championship final is concerned.

Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about the same during the virtual press conference on Tuesday, where he reckoned that the pitch will be similar to the ones in the last two games. He, however, added that unlike the day-night Test where the pink ball skidded off the surface much-quicker as compared to the red ball, the track wouldn’t be as difficult to manage as it was in the last game.

“The wicket would be similar to the third Test and also the second Test what we played in Chennai. The wicket would be similar, yes the pink ball made the difference, it was coming much quicker off the wicket as compared to the red ball. That was an adjustment we had to make but as I said the wicket would be a lot similar to the last two Test matches,”Ajinkya Rahane said during a virtual press conference ahead of the 4th Test.

It’s time for #pitchwatch, a couple of days before the fourth #INDvENG Test in #Ahmedabad… pic.twitter.com/6zIE7haZ2G

— Brian Murgatroyd (@murgersb) March 2, 2021

Ajinkya Rahane also added that Team India will not be taking England likely as they are a well-balanced team, who are capable of putting up a strong performance as they did in the first Test where they beat India by 227 runs.

“The pitch looks pretty similar, I do not know how it is going to play, we have to wait and see. We respect England, they are a very good and balanced team. We played really good cricket in the last two Tests. England played really well in the first Test, we are not taking them lightly. It is another Test match, we want to give our best. Even England will want to do well and win the Test match. For us, it is about playing as a unit and playing to our strengths,” Ajinkya Rahane added.

Also Read: Balls Exploding From Day 1 Is Not Acceptable: Mark Waugh On The Pitches In The Last Two India-England Tests