'Your best bet is trying to hit the bowler off his length' - Pope sees promise for England on 'platey' Ranchi spin track

As the fourth Test between England and India looms large in Ranchi, the spotlight is on the unpredictable pitch that promises to be the talking point of the match. After varied performances in previous encounters, the Ranchi pitch seems to be adding another layer of complexity to an already intense series.

England vice-captain Ollie Pope, having inspected the pitch, shared his insights, describing it as "interesting" with visible cracks and a "platey" appearance. Pope's observation highlights a pitch that might not be as batting-friendly as it may seem. Hence playing freely will be tough for the English batters in the upcoming Ranchi Test.

"It looks an interesting pitch. There's a lot of cracks, it's very platey, and they've just wetted it as well, which generally dries it up. If you wet it and leave it in the sun, we have found it crusts that top layer. It doesn't necessarily look like a belting wicket at the moment," Pope was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

The dissonance between the two halves of the pitch further complicates matters, with one side notably drier than the other. Pope's detailed analysis suggests a challenge for both right and left-handed batters, as spinners like Ashwin could exploit the rough patches strategically.

"It kind of looks like one half is good and then there's a lot of platey cracks at the other. At the minute, it looks like batting from the far end, there's rough outside the right-hander's off-stump. For example, Ashwin's going to bowl from that end from over the wicket because he might want to bowl it into the rough," the England vice-captain further stated.

"And from this end, it's outside the left-hander's off-stump. That's how we see it at the minute. I think we will see what happens tomorrow after the Indian team has looked at the wicket, then make a decision from there," Pope continued.

While Ranchi has hosted two Tests previously, this time, the pitch appears to be a shade lighter, indicating potential challenges for the players. The loose cracks, a result of less rolling and watering, could come into play, making the conditions even more unpredictable.

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Similar to that first Test, there might be more sweeping and more positive shots: Pope

In the batting department, England's aggressive approach, combined with a young spin attack, might pose a threat if the pitch favours turn from the outset. Pope emphasized the importance of applying pressure on the bowlers by playing positive shots.

"When the ball's doing more, your best bet is trying to hit the bowler off his length and try and get him to not bowl where he wants to bowl every ball. So personally, I think it helps if you try and put a little more pressure on the bowler. Similar to that first Test, there might be more sweeping and more positive shots," Pope concluded.

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