 "England batter Ollie Pope says 'platey' Ranchi wicket will make for an ‘even playing field’ in fourth Test")
England currently are down and out after receiving a solid hammering at the hands of the Indian team which has resulted in the Ben Stokes-led visitors trailing their opponents for the first time in the five-match series.
The Englishmen had produced an epic turnaround in the tour opener in Hyderabad to go 1-0 up with a 28-run win. They would, however, lose the next two games by 106 and 434 runs in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot respectively, and currently face a must-win scenario heading into the fourth Test in Ranchi that begins on Friday.
England, however, stand a chance in Ranchi where the wicket at the JSCA Stadium is expected to be a spin-friendly one, instead of the sporting pitches that have been served so far in the series, according to batter Ollie Pope.
“If it does spin from ball one, it takes the toss out of the equation, then it’s an even playing field,” Pope told reporters in Ranchi.
“A lot of the time the wicket starts out flat and then deteriorates. We won the first game batting first, India the last two batting first. It doesn’t define the result if you bat first on slightly flatter wicket but it does give you an advantage,” he added.
Also Read | A look at India’s Test record in Ranchi ahead of fourth match against England
Pope, one of the heroes for England in Hyderabad, feels that a wicket offering good turn will provide them with wicket-taking options.
Impact Shorts
View All“If it does do a fare bit like we expect it to then it gets us into the game. We have got some young spinners, they have bowled well in some pretty good surfaces. It definitely give us wicket-taking opportunities.They have done a good job on flat wickets as well.”
Pope had used the sweep shot to blunt the effectiveness of Indian spinners to score a majestic 196 and fashion England’s victory in the series-opener.
“Personally, when the ball is doing more your best batter is trying to hit the bowler, trying to get him to bowl off his length. It helps if you try to put pressure on the bowler like we did in Hyderabad.
“If it’s spinning we will see more sweep shots, innovative shots. We have realised that the threats that they pose on spinning wickets, the likes of Jadeja, Ashwin and Kuldeep.
“Our best bet is to put them under pressure like we did in Hyderabad in the second innings. That can give us a large amount of confidence going to the Test if it does end spinning a lot like it did then.”
With India resting Jasprit Bumrah, Pope feels the hosts can opt to field a fourth spinner in Axar Patel.
“Potentially (India will bring fourth spinner), we got to see what they do once they see the wicket and train this afternoon. See what they want from the pitch, if they want some grass left.
“They have watered the pitch so potentially an extra spinner could be seen from India. With Jasprit missing they might go down that avenue, Axar Patel is definitely an option for them.”
Also Read | Alastair Cook suggests England bench out-of-form Jonny Bairstow
Talking about the pitch, he said it looks “platey”
“The pitch looks interesting, very platey’. The cracks in the wicket aren’t just cracks, there are separate bits of ground that could open up with a lot of sun on them. The ball could deviate more off them if they open up like we expect them to.”
Stokes can bowl in Ranchi
Initially he had said that he won’t be rolling over his arm in this series but England skipper Ben Stokes, who hasn’t bowled since June, has hinted at resuming his all-rounder duties after the colossal 434-run loss in the Rajkot Test.
The fast-bowling all-rounder was seen bowling during the training session in Ranchi on Wednesday.
“There is definitely a chance, but he has not confirmed yet even in the changing room. He’s had a good bowl against our batters,” said Pope.
“Let’s see how he pulls up tomorrow and see how he goes and if that’s good we can see a ball in his hand,” Pope added.
With PTI inputs
 "'Sovereignty violated, security undermined': China fumes after USS Higgins destroyer 'intrudes' into South China Sea")
 "Will Pakistan go to war with India over the Indus Waters? Or are the threats hollow?")
 "How a diamond pendant led to South Korea's former first lady's imprisonment")
 "Iran sends its top nuclear scientists into hiding. Here’s why")
 "'Sovereignty violated, security undermined': China fumes after USS Higgins destroyer 'intrudes' into South China Sea")
 "Will Pakistan go to war with India over the Indus Waters? Or are the threats hollow?")
 "How a diamond pendant led to South Korea's former first lady's imprisonment")
 "Iran sends its top nuclear scientists into hiding. Here’s why")
