India and England are poised to face off in a five-match Test series starting in just under two weeks. The first Test is scheduled for January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Notably, England's vice-captain, Ollie Pope, seems to be welcoming the potential challenge posed by turning pitches during the upcoming India vs England Test series. Pope conveyed that his team wouldn't complain if the pitches favour spin, drawing a comparison to how England might leave more grass on the pitch to suit their seamers.
Ollie Pope, anticipating external discussions and potential pitch-related talks, emphasised the importance of both teams playing on the same wicket. He expressed the need for England to be well-prepared and equipped for the challenges they may face during the upcoming series.
“There will be a lot of outside noise. And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can. In England we might leave more grass on the pitch to suit our amazing seamers, so it’s no surprise if India do the same to suit their spinners. And I actually think low-scoring Test matches are pretty amazing to watch. I saw a fair bit of South Africa versus India and it was great: guys scoring seriously tough runs and the ball flying through. The scores could be similar in India but if the pitches spin from ball one we won’t be complaining. It’s about finding a method to combat it.” the England batter told The Guardian
Pope Talks About The Past Challenges
Ollie Pope also reflects on the challenges faced by the young players, including himself, Zak Crawley and Ben Foakes, during England's previous tour to India. He notes that they were taken by surprise when the pitches started turning early in the series.
“We had some young guys on that tour. Myself, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes – it was our first India tour and we were probably taken by surprise when it turned from ball one. I look at the guys who were most successful, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, they didn’t rotate strike a huge amount. That’s tough to do on those pitches, you can’t just work spin around like in England. You need a really solid defence but also four and six options, to hit the spinners off their length,” added Pope.
In the upcoming IND vs ENG Test Series in home conditions, India would be placing significant reliance on their spin department. Kuldeep Yadav has been chosen to provide cover for the regular spinners, namely R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
India Squad For First Two Tests Against England
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Avesh Khan