Team India will be under huge pressure going into the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad next week. The hosts need to win the final Test to book their place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship.
Even if they lose or draw the game, they can qualify but will have to depend on other results going their way. India will definitely be favourites in the upcoming game but the way Australia performed in the third Test, one cannot rule out the possibility of another win for them.
After suffering two crushing defeats, Australia bounced back in style to beat their fancied hosts by 9 wickets in the third Test. The win has sealed their place in the final of the ICC WTC which will take place later this year in England.
India vs Australia – Ahmedabad unlikely to offer rank turner
As India gear up to bounce back after the defeat in Indore, reports have come out stating that the pitch in Ahmedabad might not be a rank-turner. The hosts played on a rank-turner in Indore and it completely backfired as Australia made the most of the conditions to register a famous win.
“We haven’t received any instructions from the Indian team management and our local curators are preparing a normal track as we have always done through the season,” a state association source told PTI.
“In fact, last Ranji game over here in January, Railways scored 500 plus (508) batting first and Gujarat, although had innings defeat, scored 200 plus in both innings. It won’t be too different this time,” added the source.
While only time will tell how the pitch turns out, the source said that the local curator is focused on preparing a good Test match wicket.
“Obviously, last few days, the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee instruct the local curator. But certainly, from our end, our endeavour is to produce a good Test match pitch,” the official said.
Before the third Test, India skipper Rohit Sharma had spoken on the possibility of playing on a seaming pitch in Ahmedabad to favour fast bowlers and prepare his team for a WTC final. It will now be interesting to see the type of pitch that will be served given India’s situation at the moment.
Also Read: Our Job Is To Play On The Pitch: Andrew McDonald Gives Blunt Statement On Indore Pitch