There were a lot of speculations that the pitches in the ongoing England Test tour of India would be rank turners. However, the wickets in the first three Tests have been rather sporting, with something in it for both the batters and bowlers.

While the Hyderabad pitch for the series opener was a slow turner, the surface for the second and third Tests in Vizag and Rajkot remained relatively flat for the majority of the match.

Ahead of the fourth Test in Ranchi, however, England skipper Ben Stokes has expressed surprise at the unique characteristics of the playing surface.

With the visitors trailing 2-1 in the five-match series, the pre-match chatter has revolved mostly around the nature of the pitch.

"It looked interesting, didn't it? I don't know. I can't say much. I've never seen something like that before so I have no idea. I don't know what could happen," Stokes quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Explaining his observations, the England captain added, "If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India."

Stokes highlighted the difference in the appearance of the pitch from the changing rooms versus its actual condition on the field, noting its dark, crumbly texture and numerous cracks.

The enigmatic nature of the pitch also played a part in England making a couple of changes to their playing XI for the penultimate Test.

While pacer Ollie Robinson replaced Mark Wood in the line-up, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir came in place of leggie Rehan Ahmed.

Stokes lauded Robinson's versatility and adaptability, highlighting the bowler's ability to generate movement irrespective of the pitch conditions.

The England skipper remained coy about his prospects of bowling in the Ranchi Test, indicating positive signs regarding his knee but opting to adopt a wait-and-see approach.

(With PTI Inputs)