Ben Stokes expects pitch for 2nd Test against India to be ‘bit better’

Ahead of the second Test, Stokes talked about how the pitch could act over the course of five days on the eve of the second clash. "It might be a good wicket for maybe a day or two.

Visakhapatnam: England skipper Ben Stokes feels that the pitch in Visakhapatnam for the second Test against India will be a “bit better.” After suffering a 28-run defeat, India will enter ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium with hopes of levelling the series on 1-1.

Ahead of the second Test, Stokes talked about how the pitch could act over the course of five days on the eve of the second clash. “It might be a good wicket for maybe a day or two.

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But out here in India and other parts of the subcontinent, you tend to see it start to spin more and more as the Test goes deeper and deeper. Even though it does look like there’s a little bit more moisture in there, with the heat – and today is very hot again – any footholes and stuff like that might come into play the further the Test goes,” Stokes said in the pre-match press conference.

“It might play a little bit better initially than it did last week [in Hyderabad], but we don’t like to go in with too many preconceived ideas. We like to have some kind of idea because obviously that’s how we pick the team, then we just play what’s in front of us,” Stokes added.

India have been hurt on the home soil by spinners who don’t possess much experience. Last year in Indore, Australia bowled India out for 109 in 33.2 overs on day one. Matthew Kuhnemann picked up five wickets in his nine-over spell and at that time he had only 14 first-class games. In the first Test, debutant Tom Hartley picked up a seven-wicket haul in the second innings to restrict India to 202.

With signs forecasting that the pitch won’t spin initially, India might be dwelling on their spinners to extract more out from the surface and claim wickets. England have named a young frontline spin squad with Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir leading the attack. Their most experienced spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the second Test due to a knee injury.

India will also miss key batters with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja being ruled out of the second clash due to injuries.