England all-rounder Ben Stokes scored a crucial 55 as he helped his team get past 200 runs in their first innings of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad. England ultimately were bowled out for 205 in the best batting conditions in Ahmedabad. The pitch too for the fourth Test was very different from what it was on the third.
It assisted the pacers on the first day, had good bounce and carry, and had runs for the batsmen who were settled. Stokes was dismissed by Washington Sundar with a ball that came in with the arm and found the left-hander plumb in front of the wicket.
Meanwhile, after the day’s play, ace England all-rounder Ben Stokes said that these were some of the toughest conditions in which he has batted. The wickets in Ahmedabad have earned a lot of criticisms from England contingent with many stating that these are great conditions to play cricket.
“I have played like 70 odd games now, these are the hardest conditions that I have faced as a batsman. Obviously, I have played all around the world,” Stokes said.
He further said that it was about finding the suitable adjustments in your game to suit the conditions and play accordingly. Ben Stokes played a valiant knock to save his side from another humiliation after India sent the top-order packing for a small score.
“I think it is a case of finding it in your own way, it’s not about like you go and say ‘this is what we need to do better as a group’. It is about how we can go about it as individuals and when we come back here next time, (it will be about) how we progressed as individuals because everyone plays in a different way,” he added.
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The pitch for the 4th Test between India and England has had a bit to offer to both spinners and pacers. Mohammed Siraj extracted good pace and bounce from the surface early one while Axar Patel and R Ashwin claimed 8 wickets between them to bundle out the visitors for 205.
However, Ben Stokes also claimed that the pitch for the fourth Test was a lot better than the third Test.
Better Wicket Than Third Test: Ben Stokes
“This morning and this afternoon, it was more about the bounce that was an issue rather than the turning in. But later in the day, the bowl started to spin a little bit more. Overall, it is a much better wicket than it was in the last game played here,” the all-rounder concluded saying.