RAJKOT:It can’t be ascertained whether it was part of strategy or regular practice. The pitch at SCA Stadium was covered when the England team arrived for training on Tuesday afternoon. It was lying open under the sun at around the same time the last two days.
Alastair Cook headed for the centre of the ground after addressing the media and without seeking help from groundsmen, removed the cover himself for a look at the plot of land that might make or break reputations over the next few days. Kneeling down to feel the surface, the England captain spent some time there with coach Trevor Bayliss.
What transpired was not known, but some of it must have been about how much spin the pitch would offer. With the prospect of sustained grilling by Ravichandran Ashwin looming large, the visitors know who and what to be wary of. India’s spin arsenal is formidable at home and the off-spinner gives it a fearsome look.
Cricket is of course a team game, but there come individuals who make teams successful. While 75 wickets in 11 Tests since last year’s South Africa series gives an indication of the impact he has made on batsmen, India’s victory in eight of those (three affected by rain) shows the kind of influence the IT engineer has had in getting results.
“His confidence is sky high (because of) the number of wickets he has taken in the last year in Indian conditions. Cricket is a funny game. A lot of it is played in the mind. He knows his game better than he did four years ago. You don’t become a world class spinner overnight. It has to be developed and Ashwin has done that,” said Cook of the single biggest threat to England’s winning streak against India.
This explains why Cook & Co played more spin than pace at the nets. Four spinners plus spin-bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq giving throw-downs, they practised coming forward head down and bat-pad close together. In what frame of mind they head home for a Christmas break will in all likelihood depend on how well they execute these over five Tests.
“Making off-spinners his stock ball and changing the line of attack has changed Ashwin after last year’s 50-over World Cup,” noted wicketkeeper-turned-commentator Deep Dasgupta, standing near the nets. “The middle-leg line he bowled before that attacked mainly the inner half of the bat. By bowling outside off, he makes sure he gets the inside edge if the ball turns and outside edge if it goes straight.”
For a batting unit low on experience of playing in India other than Cook (Joe Root played one Test in 2012-13), an in-form Ashwin is a lethal proposition. “He knows his strengths and bowls in areas that make him effective,” said Virat Kohli. The skipper didn’t elaborate. What he left unsaid is something that his principal weapon would be keen to demonstrate when the umpire calls play on Wednesday.