Ahmedabad pitch in focus as the teams prepare for the third test

The India versus England test series is finely poised with the two teams heading into the Ahmedabad leg of test matches with each of team having one game apiece. England won the first test at Chennai by 227 runs and the Indians came back to win the second test at Chennai by 317 runs. Both the teams need a favorable result to make it to the final of the World Test Championship final which will be played in June and face New Zealand at the famed Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Chennai playing condition had come under attack 

The first two test matches which were played at Chennai had come under heavy attack from all corners as Spin dominated both the test matches. Even though James Anderson had bowled a dream spell of amazing reverse swing bowling during the final day of the first test it was the Bess and Leach duo that wreaked havoc. In the second test match it was the turn of the Indian trio Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav who bulldozed the English batting in both the innings and handed the visitors a huge loss. The two pitches had attracted lot of criticism from the likes of Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen who came down heavily on the playing conditions. Jofra Archer too had criticized the pitch post the first test match at Chennai. England captain Joe Root though did not take the cushion of blaming the pitch for the English teams below-par performance during the second test match.

A possible cheer for the English on the cards

The third test match of this engrossing four-match series between India and England now moves to Ahmedabad where the two teams will now play in the newly refurbished Motera Stadium which is now called the Sardar Patel Stadium. The third test match will be a day and night affair to be played under lights with the pink ball. There could be a cause for early cheer for the visiting English team as the pitch had a huge green cover over it which could make the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone lick their lips in glee. Anderson who has been in purple patch off late could come into the equation as he has always had a good record against the Indians. The joy could be short-lived though as the grass is expected to be shaved off ahead of the test match which starts on Wednesday 24^th February 2021.