England opener Zak Crawley believes that the pitch in Visakhapatnam for the second Test appears to be slightly greener, implying that it may present different challenges than the first game. Following the spin-friendly conditions in Hyderabad, there is much talk about the wickets that the hosts will prepare for the second Test, which begins on Friday.
The first Test between India and England was played in Hyderabad on what many consider to be a very competitive surface in India and it is regarded as one of probably best prepared in recent Indian cricket history – and the attention now shifts to the second test in Vizag.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the second test, Zak Crawley believes that the wicket for the second test in Vizag looks better for seam bowling with some green grass on the surface, and is aware of the fact that India will try to make a strong comeback in the series, given their home advantage.
“So, this wicket looks a bit better to seam, according to the guys, I haven’t seen it, like I said, but that’s what they It’s just a bit damper, I think here it seems like they’re a bit greener, so we’ll see what happens there.”
“They’re absolutely a top side in their own conditions. There are four games left, we have got to stick to what we do well, and hopefully, results come from there,” Zak Crawley said.
England has been here before, leading 1-0 in 2021 but losing the next three games on heavily spinning courses, particularly in Chennai and Ahmedabad, where mayhem ensued. However, this time the turning course may not give India a significant edge as it has in past tours, with Bazball’s gutsy approach and remarkable development in dealing with spin since 2021 providing some fuel for concern.
I Think Sweeping And Reverse Sweeping When It’s Spinning Is A Good Option – Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley feels that the training camp held in Abu Dhabi has been an invaluable experience to the Indian team, where they practiced under turning wickets and he also thinks that utilizing sweep strokes against spinners, like Ollie Pope’s 196-run knock, is a well-planned tactic.
“It was exactly how we wanted The wickets in Abu Dhabi turned a lot because we wanted them and we made them turn.
“I think sweeping and reverse sweeping when it’s spinning is a good option. It takes the spin out of the plan. I think the reverse sweep is more common for us because there’s just less field in there.
“They always seem to have two men out on the leg side. If they had two men out on the other side, we’d probably play the sweep the reverse sweep comes probably just as naturally to us as the normal sweep,” Zak Crawley added.
Sweeps and reverse sweeps have become a formidable weapon for England’s batters against the quality Indian spinners, who struggled in the second innings of the Hyderabad Test. During the initial session, the entire Indian squad practiced their sweep shots, with the Indian batter practicing those shots.
