The fresh Motera strip has become the big talking point as India captain Virat Kohli prepares the right pink ball questionnaire to trouble a spoilt-for-choice England in the day-night third Test starting on Wednesday.
Ahmedabad as a cricketing venue has been witness to a lot of cricketing feats in Indian cricket — from Sunil Gavaskar's famous late cut to complete 10,000 runs in Tests to Kapil Dev's best bowling figures of 9 for 83 and also him eclipsing Richard Hadlee's then world record of highest wickets.
On Wednesday, Ishant Sharma joining Kapil as the second Indian pacer to play 100 Tests would add to the momentous occasion and Kohli scoring a hundred is just what the 55,000 odd spectators, who would be allowed in, might crave for.
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium looks colossal under lights but the first Test match in many years would mean that even the home team wouldn't expect a lot of advantage.
As senior opener Rohit Sharma was clear in team's choice of surface — a turner that helps Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel just like Joe Root would have opted for a green top at the Headingley or the Old Trafford.
#TeamIndia practice under lights as they gear up for the pink-ball Test at the Cricket Stadium at Motera. 👍👍 @Paytm #INDvENG
Here are a few snapshots from the nets session 📸👇 pic.twitter.com/bXOMd5ARxn
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 22, 2021
There are a few more questions that would demand answers.
How would the twilight period be for the batsmen as James Anderson feels that the ball swings more in that phase?
Will the extra lacquer on the 'SG Test Pink' make it difficult for the Ashwin-Axar combo which wreaked havoc on the Chepauk snake pit?
And with a 2:30 pm start, how much will the dew have a bearing during the final session? The ball would be difficult to grip at that point for slow bowlers and the pitch, despite grass being shaved off, might ease out with ball skidding off the surface.
When there are so many unknown variables that warrant factoring, any captain would like to assess conditions as senior speedster Ishant said on Monday.
"...this test pink ball test match test we are playing in new ground, so for even for us there are a few things we don't know how we will have to tackle (and) all these things," Ishant said on the eve of his 100th Test match.
His opposite number James Anderson however has no doubts whatsoever that by the time the clock ticks 2:30 pm on Wednesday, the track will bear a bald look, similar to Chepauk.
Here's all you need to know about the third Test:
When is the third Test between India and England?
The third Test between India and England will begin on 24 February, Wednesday.
Where will the third India-England Test be played?
The third India-England Test will be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
What time will the Test begin?
The Test is a day-night affair so it will begin at 2.30 pm IST with the toss taking place at 2 pm IST on Day 1.
Which TV channels will broadcast the Test?
The third Test between India and England will be telecast on the Star Sports network. The match will also be live-streamed on Hotstar. You can also catch the live updates on firstpost.com.
The squads:
India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Umesh Yadav.
England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
With inputs from PTI
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