England are training hard ahead of the much-awaited third Test and their lead spinner Jack Leach has revealed that the pink ball has been swinging more than the red-cherry. He also added that the Three Lions will need to be adaptable and have to do well irrespective of the pitch.
If the first Test was an exhibition of a flat batting track, the second game showcased how spinners can bamboozle batsmen when the pitch starts turning. And now in the third Test, it might well be the time for the pacers to join the party as the pink-ball especially under lights is known for playing tricks and making the life of batsmen extremely difficult. This will only be the second time in India that there will be a day-night Test that too at the newly built Motera Stadium, which is just a few hours away from becoming the latest Test venue in the country.
England’s left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has been one of the best bowlers in the ongoing series, has asserted that the pink-ball has been swinging far more than the red-ball but he also knows that the curator might well cut the grass before the commencement of the Test.
“The pink ball has definitely swung a little bit more than the red one out here and, at the moment at least, the pitch looks like it’s got a bit of grass on it. They might cut all that grass off and it will look very different. It is a truer wicket, then it’ll spin less but if it is like the last Test, then it isn’t going to matter what colour the ball is, it’ll spin,” Leach wrote in ‘Sky Sports’, reported TOI.
He also added that the English team are having good sessions with the pink-ball and they want to be adaptable no matter what conditions they are thrown into. Leach, is also well aware, of the changes that he will need to make to his game for the D/N Test.
“We had a good session under lights that started in that twilight period and while I don’t have much experience of playing in these day-night games, I’ve heard that during twilight can be a tough time to bat.
“We want to be adaptable, we feel like we’ve got all bases covered in our squad so I think it’s going to be a fascinating Test match if the ball is moving around, and if so, it might be a slightly different role for me. I’ve definitely thought about that – it’ll be a different challenge and I’ll be ready.”
One of the biggest talking points of the last Test was the turning nature of the pitch than the superlative performance from India. However, Leach made it clear that from England’s point of view, all they want is to do well and there will be no pitch-related excuses as the team wants to conquer all the surfaces,
“I know a lot of people were talking about the pitch in the last game but for us as players, it’s really important that we’re trying to put good performances in whatever pitch we’re playing on; there are definitely no excuses from inside the camp. We want to be adaptable on all surfaces and I think we’ve shown that.”
