IND vs ENG Tests | Ranchi pitch in focus as Rohit and Stokes’ men gear up for the crucial fourth Test

Pitch conditions in Ranchi ahead of the fourth India-England Test are expected to favor spinners, impacting team selection.

 With the first three Tests of the ongoing India-England series witnessing action for 12 of the 15 designated days, all talk about the nature of surfaces were put on the backburner. Ahead of the fourth Test at the JSCA Stadium from Friday, however, the pitch is now front and centre.

It is not so much a matter of raging debate, but of intrigue. With Jasprit Bumrah being rested, there is an expectation for the turf to take early turn, something that was missing in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Rajkot.

England batter Ollie Pope did hint in that direction, calling the 22 yards “platey” (presence of flaky layers).

“The pitch looks interesting,” he said. “There are quite a few cracks and they aren’t just cracks... there are separate bits of ground that could open up with a lot of sun. The ball could deviate more off them if they open up like we expect them to.”

This is sure to have a bearing on team selection. India will have to decide if it will bring in an additional spinner in place of Bumrah or trust speedster Mukesh Kumar — who went above five runs an over in Visakhapatnam — to partner Mohammed Siraj and do the job.

In the past, Axar Patel has proved very effective on pitches that offer sharp spin, and has also been selected ahead of left-arm unorthodox bowler Kuldeep Yadav.

The 30-year-old’s batting can also come in handy, especially in a side that continues to miss the services of Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul.