Ahead of the day-night Test in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 24), England spinner Jack Leach has admitted different challenges with the pink ball, but he is ready to fire with the expected new role in the national side in the third Test against India at the new Motera Stadium.
After the spinners’ domination in the first two matches in the ongoing four-match Test series between India and England, the third Test will see the seamers back into the forefront and Leach reckoned that it's going to be a fascinating Test match if the ball is moving around in Ahmedabad.
With the pink ball tends to move around a lot more than the traditional red cherry, the left-arm spinner expects his role could change over the next few days in the upcoming third Test against Team India.
Leach wrote in Sky Sports: “We want to be adaptable, we feel like we've got all bases covered in our squad so I think it's going to be a fascinating Test match if the ball is moving around, and if so, it might be a slightly different role for me. I've definitely thought about that – it'll be a different challenge and I'll be ready.”
On England’s preparations for batting in the twilight phase in the day-night Test, he said: “We had a good session under lights that started in that twilight period, and while I don't have much experience of playing in these day-night games, I've heard that during twilight can be a tough time to bat.”
The spinner further added, “The pink ball has definitely swung a little bit more than the red one out here and, at the moment at least, the pitch looks like it's got a bit of grass on it. They might cut all that grass off and it will look very different. It is a truer wicket, then it'll spin less but if it is like the last Test, then it isn't going to matter what color the ball is, it'll spin!”
Some of the former England cricketers criticized the Chennai pitch for the 2nd Test which the tourists lost by 317 runs, but Leach said his team didn’t offer any excuses for the loss or blame the pitch.
He signed off by saying, “I know a lot of people were talking about the pitch in the last game but for us as players, it's really important that we're trying to put good performances in whatever pitch we're playing on; there are definitely no excuses from inside the camp. We want to be adaptable on all surfaces and I think we've shown that.”
(With PTI Inputs)
