Ahmedabad: After one win each in the series and with two to play, the third Test between India and England at Ahmedabad’s hulking Motera Stadium on Wednesday would be a blockbuster affair regardless of the day-night element.
The two teams have served up a treat thus far, in keeping with a wider golden period for Test cricket.
The Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad hasn’t hosted an international game since 2014, and is now entirely refurbished, with a world-leading 110,000 seating capacity. And this, of course, will be only the second time India hosts a day-night Test, which will bring an entirely new set of variables into play because of the floodlights and the pink ball.
Speaking ahead of the Motera Test, Pujara reckoned that dew might set in during the final sessions of the Test match. This could have a number of consequences.
After a break of one Test, Jasprit Bumrah is back in the squad and will lead the pace attack alongside Ishant Sharma, with R Ashwin and Axar Patel manning the spin department. Then they have the option of playing one of Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj as the fifth bowler, or, possibly, even Hardik Pandya.
For England, Jonny Bairstow’s availability will somewhat reduce the burden on Joe Root, while a returning James Anderson will buoy them further. Anderson was rested for the second Test, which became a talking point given the six-day gap between the second and the third Tests. England, however, stuck to their rotation policy and now have a fresh Anderson at their disposal.
The Motera pitch does have some live grass, so while spinners will come into play later in the Test, one cannot discount the impact of the new ball and fast bowlers, especially under lights.