"The Ranchi pitch has cracks.."- Vikram Rathour spits shocking details

India batting coach Vikram Rathour has said the Ranchi pitch is like a ‘typical Indian wicket’ that will favor spinners in the upcoming fourth Test against England. While pitches have garnered a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons during the Test series in India in recent years, the ongoing series has turned out to be an exception.

The pitches used in the first three Tests were not rank turners and action took place on 12 of the 15 days allotted to the three games.

Jasprit Bumrah being the leading wicket-taker in the series pretty much shows the type of wickets that have been offered in the series so far. However, India and England could play on a spinning track in the upcoming Test.

The pitch has already developed a crack and Vikram Rathour has admitted that the ball would spin in Ranchi. At the same time, he also said that he is not sure about how much spin will be on offer.

“Every time we play in India, there’s a question mark on the pitch. It’s a typical Indian wicket. There are cracks. It will turn. But how much and from when we aren’t sure,” Vikram Rathour said in the pre-match presser.

Vikram Rathour on Jasprit Bumrah’s unavailability:

Speaking further, Vikram Rathour also spoke on the unavailability of Jasprit Bumrah for the Ranchi Test. The fast bowler led India’s attack in the first three Tests before being rested for the upcoming game as a part of his workload management.

With 17 wickets in 3 Tests, Bumrah is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series, and missing him will be a huge blow for Team India. Speaking on his absence, Vikram Rathour said: “We love to see Bumrah play every match. But it is not advisable. The kind of workload, schedule we have, everybody felt it was better to give him a break. He was absolutely fine but we also have to keep in mind the workload ahead.”

India are leading the series 2-1 and will be aiming to wrap up the series by winning the fourth Test. The momentum is with the hosts after their record 434-run win in the last Test and they will be looking to make the most of it.