‘Hopefully, it'll be a pitch that’ll play a lot better’: Gavaskar doesn’t expect much changes in the pitch for 4th Test
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has reckoned that the final game will also be played on a spin-friendly track and hoped that the pitch would be a little bit easier to bat on.
After thumping England by 10 wickets in the pink-ball Test, the Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team is gearing up for the fourth and the final match which kicks off in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
A lot has been spoken about the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium after the third Test ended in less than two full days. Several cricket pundits were of the opinion that the track isn’t prepared for a Test match.
Meanwhile, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has reckoned that the final game will also be played on a spin-friendly track and hoped that the pitch would be a little bit easier to bat on.
“I don’t think the pitch will be very different from what we have already seen because it is the same square on which eleven pitches are there, out of which we are going to play on one more pitch. What will happen is that unless there is a lot of rolling done, unless there is a lot of watering done at the same time, this pitch will become drier and then help the ball to turn a little bit more. So, x,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
The batting legend said that the hosts may think of fielding Kuldeep Yadav in the final XI ahead of Washington Sundar but are very unlikely to make those alterations.
“I don’t think any changes can be made. Maybe at best, the Indian team might say that instead of Washington Sundar they might look at playing Kuldeep Yadav though I don’t think that's going to happen. If you have won the Test match in two days and quite comfortably, I don’t think you need to do any changes. So, Mayank and the others will have to wait for some more time,” concluded Sunil Gavaskar.
Earlier on Saturday, pacer Jasprit Bumrah was released from the Indian squad owing to personal reason and can be replaced by fit-again Umesh Yadav. The hosts are leading the series 2-1.
