England captain Ben Stokes praised the quality of pitches on their tour of India, expressing surprise at the challenging Ranchi pitch but overall satisfaction with the “really good Test match wickets.
Despite facing challenges with the Ranchi pitch, England’s captain Ben Stokes remained content with the overall quality of surfaces encountered during their ongoing tour of India, praising them as “really good Test match wickets.” In the 4th Test, England initially struggled before a century from Joe Root propelled them to 353 all out.
However, India fought back after being at 177/7, with half-centuries from Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal, eventually posting 307. In the second innings, England faltered, setting India a tricky target of 192, banking on the pitch’s predicted deterioration for an advantage.
India’s opening partnership of 84 runs set a brisk pace, but England’s spinners managed to turn the tide, limiting the hosts to 120/5. Post-match, Stokes expressed surprise at the pitch’s resilience, attributing its behavior to fluctuating temperatures throughout the day.
“As I said before the start of the Test, I had no idea what it (pitch) was going to do. Again, I was very surprised how it kept itself together. I think the temperatures (through) the day made the wicket behave differently,” Stokes said.
With India now leading the series 3-1, Stokes commended all four pitches, labeling them as “really good Test match wickets.” He acknowledged the challenge posed by spin, a characteristic trait of Indian conditions, but affirmed no complaints regarding the pitches.
“I think all four wickets have been really, really good Test match wickets. We’ve seen on many occasions when players and batters get in, it’s very hard to get them out and stop them from scoring,” Stokes said.
“But you know that there’s always going to be a period where spin is going to be a massive threat. And that’s the conditions you’re used to in India. So. no complaints whatsoever about any pitches that have been produced. I think they’ve been very good wickets and again, we’ve had four games, four results, so can’t complain,” he concluded.
Last Updated on February 26, 2024
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