THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q WEDNESDAY Q FEBRUARY 24, 2021 11

Motera Nights: India venture into unknown, Pink-ball Test: Spinners will England seek answers for ‘pink ball turner’ come into play for sure but pacers AHMEDABAD, FEB- ting can tilt any game in In- can't be ignored either: Kohli RUARY 23: A virgin dia’s favour. AHMEDABAD, FEB- Motera strip has become For England, with Moeen RUARY 23: A rank turner the big talking point as In- Ali back home as part of is being anticipated at dia pre- workload management, Motera but India captain pares the right pink ball Dom Bess is expected to be Virat Kohli expects pacers questionnaire to trouble a back alongside Jack Leach to have as big a role as spin- spoilt-for-choice England in the spin department. ners in the day-night third in the day-night third Test However, whether An- Test against England, a side starting here on Wednes- derson and Jofra Archer riddled with "many weak- day. will have or nesses" according to him. Ahmedabad, as a - Mark Wood for company is Both teams have won a ing venue, has been witness still not clear. game each in the four- to a lot of cricketing feats in Also, talented batsman match series and ahead of Indian cricket — from Sunil Zak Crawley could be back third Test, starting here on Gavaskar’s famous late cut in the playing XI in place of Wednesday, the talk has to complete 10,000 runs in Rory Burns while Jonny been incessantly focussed Tests to ’s best Bairstow can replace Dan on the nature of the virgin as well, where the ball does ners, which is considered figures of 9 for 83 Lawrence at number three. track at the refurbished sta- way more and hold them India's strength at home. and also him eclipsing choice of surface — a turner pitch, despite grass being fitness test was good news The Squads: dium. out every time so we're not Senior India batsman Ro- ’s then that helps Ravichandran shaved off, might ease out for the Indian camp as India: Virat Kohli (Cap- Asked if the ball was un- really bothered with that. hit Sharma has already said world record of highest Ashwin and just with ball skidding off the is likely to tain), , likely to swing much in the It's just about playing well that it would be another . like Joe Root would have surface. be dropped from the play- , Shubman third Test, Kohli said he ex- as a team," he said. turning pitch. Kohli said On Wednesday, Ishant opted for a green top at the When there are so many ing XI. Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, pected the pacers to be in "And yeah, there are facing the pink ball was Sharma joining Kapil as the Headingley or the Old Traf- unknown variables that Umesh, along with Ishant (vice-cap- the game till the ball is "nice many, many weaknesses in more challenging than the second Indian pacer to play ford. warrant factoring, any cap- and the now injured Mo- tain), KL Rahul, Hardik and shiny". the opposition side as well, if red ball irrespective of the 100 Tests would add to the There are a few more tain would like to assess hammed Shami, had pol- Pandya, "I don't think that is an you are keen to exploit nature of the surface. momentous occasion and questions that would de- conditions as senior speed- ished off Bangladesh twice (-keeper), Wriddhi- accurate assessment (that them. If it's a seamer "It is much more chal- Kohli scoring a hundred is mand answers. ster Ishant said on Monday. inside six sessions in the in- man Saha (wicket-keeper), bowl will not swing). The friendly track for them it's lenging to play with pink just what the 55,000 odd How would the twilight “...this test pink-ball Test augural Pink Test match in R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, pink ball does tend to swing for us as well. ball regardless of the pitch spectators, who would be period be for the batsmen match test we are playing in Kolkata. Axar Patel, Washington a lot more than the red ball. "And we probably have, you play on. Especially in allowed in, might crave for. as James Anderson feels new ground, so for even for But this England team, Sundar, , We experienced that when you know, among other the evening, if as a batting The refurbished Sardar that the ball swings more in us there are a few things we with Joe Root, Ben Stokes, , Md. Siraj, we played for the first time teams, the best bowling at- team, you are starting your Patel Stadium looks colos- that phase? don’t know how we will Jonny Bairstow, will pose a . in 2019 (against tack in the world so we're innings under lights then sal under lights but the first Will the extra lacquer on have to tackle (and) all far greater challenge. England: Joe Root (c), Bangladesh)," Kohli said in not really bothered by what that one and a half hour is Test match in many years the ‘SG Test Pink’ make it these things,” Ishant said Hardik Pandya has been James Anderson, Jofra the pre-match press confer- the ball might bring differ- very challenging," he said. would mean that even the difficult for the Ashwin- on the eve of his 100th Test kept with the Test team Archer, Jonny Bairstow, ence. ently to the table. We're "Yes, spin will come into home team wouldn’t expect Axar combo which wreaked match. with an eye on his bowling Dominic Bess, Stuart Kohli also rejected the as- ready for anything that play for sure but I don't a lot of advantage. havoc on the Chepauk His opposite number workload but it’s not known Broad, Rory Burns, Zak sessment that England comes our way," he as- think the new ball and fast It would prefer a square snake pit? James Anderson, however, whether the team thinks Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan would have an edge if the serted. bowlers can be ignored. The turner to go 2-1 up in a high- And with a 2:30 pm start, has no doubts whatsoever that he is Test match ready. Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ol- pitch favours pacers. Both teams go into the pink ball does bring them stakes game but whether it how much will the dew have that by the time clock ticks Pandya taking the load of lie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben "...not really bothered game with a lot of un- into the game till the ball is actually gets one remains to a bearing during the final 2:30 pm on Wednesday, the a maximum 15 overs per in- Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris about what the strengths knowns. The pink ball is nice and shiny, something be seen. session? The ball would be track will bear a bald look, nings on a turner could pro- Woakes, Mark Wood. and weaknesses of the Eng- known to aid the pacers but we are very well aware of As senior opener Rohit difficult to grip at that point similar to Chepauk. vide more balance to the Match starts 2.30 pm lish team are. We have it remains to be seen how and preparing accordingly," Sharma was clear in team’s for slow bowlers and the Umesh Yadav passing the playing XI and his big-hit- (IST). beaten them in their home much it will help the spin- added Kohli. Sport does not recognise anything other It will be a different challenge with pink than on-field performance: Tendulkar ball and I will be ready: Jack Leach MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 23: He also advised students to con- AHMEDABAD, FEBRUARY games, I've heard that during twilight Cricket icon firmly tinue chasing their goals and make 23: England's lead spinner Jack Leach can be a tough time to bat. believes that sport only recognises that extra effort. says he is ready for a new role as the "The pink ball has definitely swung a performance on the field and not the "Continue to chase your dreams, day/night pink ball Test against India little bit more than the red one out background of an athlete. dreams do come true, number of looks set to bring the seamers back here and, at the moment at least, the One of the game's all-time greats, times we push ourselves and we feel it into the forefront after the tweakers' pitch looks like it's got a bit of grass on Tendulkar retired in 2013 after is a dead end, but it is never dead domination in the first two matches. it. breaking a plethora of records dur- end, so take that extra step and you The third Test of the four-match se- "...they might cut all that grass off ing a glorious career. will achieve your goal," he said. ries will be played at the refurbished and it will look very different. it is a "Every time we enter the dressing He also remembered his father late Motera Stadium here from Wednes- truer wicket, then it'll spin less but if it room, it really didn't matter where Ramesh Tendulkar, who was a pro- day. is like the last Test, then it isn't going to you came from, which part of the fessor and recalled how he travelled Leach is aware that with the pink matter what colour the ball is, it'll country and where you belong. It was through Mumbai to impart lessons ball, which tends to move around a lot spin!" Leach, a left-arm spinner, a level field for everyone. to his students. more than the traditional red cherry, played down the chatter around the "Sport doesn't recognise anything "When we talk about accessibility, I his role could change over the next few pitch used for the second Test in Chen- other than your performance on remember my father was also a pro- "That is what we want to do, try days. nai, saying the team offers no excuses field," Tendulkar told PTI during a fessor and he would travel from one "We want to be adaptable, we feel ball would behave under lights on a for their massive 317-run defeat in that virtual interaction after being named and share my experiences. (I was) end to other end of Mumbai and con- being part of different schools along like we've got all bases covered in our newly laid strip. Batting in the twilight match. as the brand ambassador of e-learn- stantly be busy teaching his students. squad so I think it's going to be a fasci- phase has been one of the talking "I know a lot of people were talking ing platform 'Unacademy'. board and met different coaches. I "Today, if he was alive, he would myself learnt a lot and those are the nating Test match if the ball is moving points going into the game, with India about the pitch in the last game but for He spoke about sports unifying have been really proud of what Un- around, and if so, it might be a slightly opener Rohit Sharma saying he would us as players, it's really important that people through the new initiative. experiences I want to share. academy has enabled to do, because "We will be conducting classes free different role for me," Leach wrote in be extra cautious during that period. we're trying to put good performances "You are out there as an individual then not in thousands, but millions 'Sky Sports'. On England's preparations, Leach in whatever pitch we're playing on; who wants to contribute towards the of cost, so I think we wanted this had access to him." platform to be accessible to anyone "I've definitely thought about that - said, "We had a good session under there are definitely no excuses from team," added the 47-year-old leg- According to Unacademy CEO and it'll be a different challenge and I'll be lights that started in that twilight pe- inside the camp. endary batsman, who will connect and everyone," the batsman, who has co-founder Gaurav Munjal, Ten- numerous records to his name, ready." riod and while I don't have much ex- "We want to be adaptable on all sur- with students and share his experi- dulkar told him to reach out to 1 bil- Both sides are wary of how the pink perience of playing in these day-night faces and I think we've shown that." ences. added. lion users. Winning World Test Championship would Have not got real clarity on balance be like World Cup triumph: Ishant Sharma of attack yet: Root Ahmedabad, February 22: Helping only thinking about how we can win said Ishant, who was injured ahead of India to win the inaugural World Test the next Test. And then the next so the trip Down Under before the now on the refurbished ment kept him out of the everything. When we're ab- Championship (WTC) would be as that we can qualify for the final of mandatory 14-day coronavirus isola- Motera pitch which will second Test. Stuart Broad is solutely ready we'll give you make its debut with the also in contention for a spot. the full squad together." momentous as a World Cup victory for World Test Championship.” tion regulations ruled him out. pink-ball Test. "It's great to see him "I think having a real fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who is set “I only play one format, so the WTC “The sooner you forget things and "We're going to take our (Archer) back bowling good understanding what to play his 100th Test against England is like a World Cup for me. If we reach move on in life, the better it is for you. time with the limited infor- again, we are excited. He is a this pitch might look like to- from Wednesday. the final and then go on to win it, it will This is the biggest lesson I have mation we have on this world class performer and morrow morning and Ishant Sharma be the same feeling as winning the ICC learned,” he added. ground and pink ball have got all the skills...it's a ahead of that first ball...It I only play one format, so the WTC is World Cup,” he added. England’s James Anderson also cricket. You know, we are very exciting place to be to has got dryer and dryer as like a World Cup for me. If we reach The ICC launched the WTC last year plays only Tests and is still leading going to make sure, we give have now a battery of fast the days have gone as you'd the final and then go on to win it, it will to lend context to bilateral Test series, their attack at the age of 38. AHMEDABAD, FEB- ourselves as much (time) as bowlers to choose from," expect it to. be the same feeling as winning the ICC giving its standalone “Thirty-eight is difficult to say as of RUARY 23: England skip- possible heading into the Root said. "So just need to have real World Cup showpiece like the World Cup in other now,” Ishant said. “I just go one Test per Joe Root on Tuesday game before we make a deci- Senior wicketkeeper bats- clarity on what balance of In a career spanning 14 years, the formats. New Zealand have booked at a time. I understand my body, what said he was yet to have "real sion," Root said on the eve man Jonny Bairstow has attack we want and utilise 32-year-old from has taken over their spot in this year’s final at Lord’s kind of training I need to do. I am clarity" on what should be of the match. also returned to the squad this practice tonight to see 300 wickets in the longest format of and India can join them with a win looking after myself.” — Agencies his bowling combination The England think tank and it remains to be seen how much dew it might play the game but the last time he played and a draw against England in their Umesh Yadav clears fitness test, for the day-night third Test has a selection headache whether they can keep in- and how big a factor that white-ball cricket for India was over ongoing four-Test series which is cur- added to India’s squad against India starting both in bowling and batting form Ben Foakes out or play might be and whether that Wednesday and will wait five years ago. rently level at 1-1. Ahmedabad: Pacer Umesh Yadav departments. both of them. alters things at all." for some more time before In bowling, they have "We will get you the The skipper, however, Only Kapil Dev, with 131 matches, Ishant has learned not to worry was today added to India’s squad for finalising the playing XI. has played more Tests than Ishant for about things he cannot control. “I’d the last two Tests against England after Jofra Archer fit and avail- squad when we're ready... hinted that there would be India crushed England by able along with veteran That's how we want to do a bit more lateral move- India as a fast bowler. have loved to go to Australia and com- he passed a fitness test, while Shardul 317 runs on a turner in “There’s a lot of time for 131,” Ishant plete my 100 Tests there but there are Thakur was released to compete in the pace spearhead James An- things. ment with the pink ball Chennai to level the four- derson, who is back in fray We just want to make which can "work in their told reporters today. “Right now I am things that are not in your control,” ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. match series 1-1. All eyes are after workload manage- sure, we're really sure on favour".