India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, described the Ranchi pitch as a typical Indian wicket with “enough cracks”. He acknowledged that the pitch would favour spinners but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to adapt to any conditions. The fourth Test between India and England starts on Friday.
“Every time we play in India, there’s a question mark on the pitch. It’s a typical Indian wicket, with cracks. This wicket always has cracks,” Rathour told reporters on the eve of the match. “It will turn, but to what extent and when, we’re not sure. But we have enough balance in our team.”
Rajat Patidar, who made his debut in the Vizag Test, had a challenging start to his Test career, managing only 46 runs at an average of 11.50 across two matches. Rathour firmly supported the newcomer, saying: “We’ve been having a lot of conversations with him [Patidar], but he needs to understand that this is part of the game. He’s been batting really well, scoring runs to earn his spot, and two matches don’t make him a bad player.”
India will also miss KL Rahul, who failed to recover from a quadriceps injury. Rathour expressed uncertainty about Rahul’s fitness and emphasised the team’s focus on the available resources for the Ranchi Test.
“Either he is fit or he is not. At the moment, he is not. I’m not sure about the extent of his injury; only the medical team can confirm that. As far as we’re concerned, he is unavailable, and we’re focusing on the team we have,” he said.
The decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test has sparked discussion. Rathour clarified that Bumrah’s absence was not due to fitness concerns but rather to manage his workload. “Every Test match is crucial, and we’d love Bumrah to play all the games. Unfortunately, it’s not advisable due to his workload in the last three games. He has bowled with a lot of heart and effort.”