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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 captain Virat Kohli 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 Stuart Broad or nesses" according to him. Ahmedabad, as a cricket- 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 Kapil Dev’s best Bairstow can replace Dan on the nature of the virgin as well, where the ball does ners, which is considered bowling 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- Richard Hadlee’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 Axar Patel just with ball skidding off the Kuldeep Yadav is likely to tain), Rohit Sharma, likely to swing much in the It's just about playing well that it would be another wickets. like Joe Root would have surface. be dropped from the play- Mayank Agarwal, 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 Ajinkya Rahane (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, Rishabh Pant "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 (wicket-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, Ishant Sharma, 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, Jasprit Bumrah, 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 Umesh Yadav. 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 Sachin Tendulkar 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.

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