‘if you give a rank turner, Ajaz, Rachin and Phillips will make your life difficult’ - Aakash Chopra on Pune Pitch

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that the surface in Pune will be a slow turner, which will heavily favour the spinners. After suffering a defeat in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, team India is desperate to bounce back and is likely to exercise their strength, which is the spin department. The Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja duo have done remarkably well in spin-friendly conditions, and the hosts are willing to take advantage of that again.

Chopra however reminded the strength of New Zealand’s spin department. He believes that making a turner will be a lottery as the Kiwis have some quality spinners in the rank as well. The likes of Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips can wreak havoc and on top of that, they can drop one of the pacers and play Mitchell Santner, who can be equally effective. 

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“I have heard it will be a slow turner, which will not have much bounce. When the match might have been unfolding there (in Bengaluru), the curator here might have been told to put less water, use the grass mower, remove the grass, and prepare a pitch that helps the spinners,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“My small suggestion and request is that you shouldn't prepare a rank turner because it becomes a lottery if you prepare a rank turner. If you play five days on a decent surface, your spin is better. However, if you give a rank turner, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips will make your life difficult. They will play Mitchell Santner instead of three fast bowlers,” he added.

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Meanwhile, India called up Washington Sundar for the remainder of the Test series. Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed that they were looking for an off-spinner and Sundar fit the bill. However, it’s unclear if the 25-year-old will feature in the playing XI as India’s spin department looks stacked at the moment.