Prior to England‘s five-match Test series against India, the debates and mental exercises about the subcontinent pitches had already started. The surface at Newlands in Cape Town recently caused quite a stir when many former cricket players criticized it after the match concluded in less than five sessions. After that, captain Rohit Sharma stated that they had no trouble playing on an uneven field but that they expected opposing teams to stay quiet when they played in India’s spin-friendly conditions. Ollie Pop continued by saying that both teams would play on the same surface since their focus would be on swift adaptation.
In light of this, Ollie Pope, an England batsman, said that the visiting squad won’t be grumbling if play begins in India on day one.
“A lot of external noise is expected.” Additionally, pitches might be a hot topic of conversation. We simply need to be as prepared as we can be because the two teams are playing on the same wicket. Keep that in mind. Just as we in England may mow a little bit more grass to accommodate our fantastic seamers, it would not be shocking if India did the same to accommodate their spinners. In an interview with the Guardian, Ollie Pope added, “I actually think low-scoring Test matches are pretty amazing to watch.”
“I witnessed a good amount of South Africa’s match against India, and it was fantastic: players making extremely difficult runs and the ball soaring through. In India, the results might be comparable, but we won’t be grumbling if the pitches spin from ball one. It’s about working out a way to counter it,” he continued.
Notably, three days prior to the first Test in Hyderabad, on January 22, England is scheduled to arrive in India. Before traveling to India, they will spend a few days in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) receiving training. The hosts and Afghanistan are presently engaged in a three-match Twenty20 International series. Following the last Twenty20 International, which is scheduled for January 17 in Bengaluru, they will start training.
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