In a surprising turn of events for visiting teams, the pitches prepared for the India versus West Indies series in Ahmedabad and the current venue have notably deviated from the ‘rank turners’ often associated with Indian home Tests. West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican openly admitted his astonishment, expecting surfaces that would offer immediate, sharp turn, similar to recent matches that led to swift conclusions and often unpredictable outcomes.
Ravindra Jadeja (AP Photo)
However, for India’s own spin contingent, this development was no surprise. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja confirmed that the Indian team intentionally requested ‘slow turners’ rather than the excessively dry, crumbling wickets that can make batting a nightmare and inadvertently give opposition spinners an equal footing. This strategic choice marks a conscious effort to move away from pitches that have, in the past, seen India’s formidable home record experience rare blips.
Warrican’s confusion is understandable. Recent history has shown India struggling on aggressively doctored pitches. For instance, losses against New Zealand (collapsing for 46 against pacers in Bengaluru) and subsequent defeats within three days, or the setback against England in Hyderabad where part-timer Joe Root and rookie Tom Hartley bagged crucial wickets, highlight the perils of extreme turning tracks. Even a dominant Australian side, with Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, secured a three-day victory in Indore under similar conditions.
Jadeja elaborated on the rationale, stating, “I’m not surprised because we’ve only asked for slow turners. We didn’t ask for rank turners.” He acknowledged that this approach presents a different set of challenges for the Indian spinners. “As we saw today, the bounce is low and there isn’t much turn on offer off the surface. We’ve to use our shoulders a lot. Less pace makes it easy to adjust to the length or go on the back foot and work the ball. We now have to be a bit quicker in the air. Not every ball is turning. We’ve to work really hard for our wickets,” he explained. This new reality demands adaptability and greater exertion from the spin bowlers to earn their breakthroughs.