"It certainly got slower": Anil Kumble on pitch in Ranchi Test
Feb 27, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 27 : Former India spinner Anil Kumble on Tuesday shared his opinion on the pitch in Ranchi's JSCA International Stadium Complex, which hosted the fourth Test against England, and said that it got slower with time.
Speaking on JioCinema, Kumble claimed that it affects the players' mindset once they start thinking about the condition of the pitch as these things are not in control.
"The pitch certainly got slower. But the moment you start thinking about the pitch, about conditions, about DRS or things that are not in your control, it certainly starts affecting your mindsets and that's something the opposition will pick on," Kumble said on JioCinema, according to a release.
The legendary spinner also criticized the senior English batters and said that they failed to perform "consistently" in the initial three Tests against India.
"England's senior batters including Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, other than the Ranchi Test, didn't contribute consistently. There were some key moments that they grabbed on a couple of occasions but other key moments they let go. It's all nice to say that 'this is the way I bat', but you can't bat like that all the time. You have to hold back. In Test match cricket, that's what it is. It's about situations and that's what Root did in this (Ranchi) match. No wonder he was successful, something that England will have to discuss and look at," he added.
England lost their third consecutive match in the series, unable to capitalise on their early 1-0 advantage following a narrow victory in Hyderabad. The visitors had their chances, notably in Rajkot and Ranchi, but India came back strong on both occasions.
In the fourth Test, England allowed India to score over 300 runs in the first innings and narrow the lead. England were then bowled out for only 146 runs in the second innings, including a landslip disaster.
India will lock horns with England in the fifth and final Test match of the series from March 7 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
