'It will be a batting beauty' - BCCI to prepare a high-scoring pitch for the fourth Test

The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium was put under major scrutiny by many veteran England players and cricket analysts as they termed it incompetent and argued that India didn’t play fair by making the pitch completely favourable for the home team. While the talks of India losing points in the World Test Championship table due to poor pitch are doing rounds, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is confident that they won’t face any flak from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

It is learned that the authorities are planning to prepare a good hard surface that will produce an even bounce and will be a batting delight. The team is already leading the four-match Test series by 2-1 and needs just one draw or victory in the last match to seal the spot in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship against New Zealand. Thus, BCCI is not looking forward to taking any chances and one can expect a high-scoring game at Motera.

“Expect a good hard surface which will be firm and even bounce. It will be a batting beauty and since it’s a traditional red ball match, one can expect a very high scoring contest here from March 4-8,” a senior BCCI official said as quoted by Outlook India.

BCCI is aware that ICC is unlikely to take any action if a stadium has one good and one bad pitch. Also, the authorities understand that another dust bowl won’t augur well for the new venue as it has to host some important matches during IPL and ICC T20 World Cup later this year.

These tracks have a tendency to backfire: BCCI official

“If there are two matches played at the same venue, you can’t hold one result in isolation. Let the final Test be over and then only based on match referee Javagal Srinath’s report can ICC decide its course of action. Also as of now, the England team hasn’t lodged any official complaint,” the BCCI official said.

Another important point here is that the Indian team management is not willing to take a risk in the last game as preparing such pitches can backfire too. Though the result of the pink-ball game had gone in the favor of the home team, one can’t say the same about the next game if a similar kind of pitch is prepared.

“The pink ball Test went well because it was more about the ball and the way it skidded rather than the pitch which many English former greats are panning. It was straight deliveries that they couldn’t counter. But having said that these kinds of tracks have a tendency to backfire and BCCI is well aware of that,” he said.