India is, perhaps unfairly, known for serving up pitches of questionable quality.
But even accounting for that, when the covers were rolled back at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi ahead of the fourth Test against England, there was a sharp intake of breath.
“I’ve not seen a pitch like this for a long time,” former England spinner Graeme Swann said on the host broadcast, while digging his finger into a gaping crack outside off stump.
“It looks like a dried up river bed.
“It’s very, very dry … you would think if the ball hits that it would explode a bit and turn and there could be turn from very early on.”
His co-host Deep Dasgupta was not as pessimistic.
“It will turn, but it will be a slow, low turner,” he said.
“I know it looks a little tacky, but trust me, it will play better than it looks.”
That might be true, but it didn’t stop Ben Stokes from immediately announcing his attention to bat first after sharing a smile with opposite number Rohit Sharma.
Stokes had said earlier in the week that he had “never seen” anything like the pitch after seeing it for the first time.
“The first hour is gonna give us some indication as to what it might do longer,” Stokes said on Friday.
“But I think obviously being out in India, if you win the toss you generally have a bat first.”
When asked his opinion of the pitch, Sharma paused and took a deep breath as he stared at the surface.
“Yeah, it looks a little dry,” he said.
“Obviously a bit of cracks as well. That’s the nature of the pitch here.”
Anil Kumble, who led India in the first Test ever played at this venue, against Australia in 2017, was also more positive about how the pitch would play based on his experience at the venue.
“Yes, the pitch,” the former India captain said.
“I had a look, but I guess looks can be deceptive.
“We played Australia [in 2017] … there was no grass, it looked like a drought-ridden pitch, and it played, it was a draw, yes, there was turn, the cracks did widen, but you will still have time.
“There will be turn. The cracks will widen. It all depends how the batters see the pitch. Will they see the pitch? Or will they play the ball.
“If they play the ball, then it’s not easy for a bowler to get wickets, because you will have time.
“It will be slow, there won’t be pace off the surface.”
That appeared to be refuted in the very first over, when Mohammed Siraj saw his third delivery rear up off a length and strike the 196cm-tall England batter Zak Crawley on the top hand.
This is the third Test to be played at the venue.
Australia battled to an incredible draw in 2017, with Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh batting out a remarkable 124-run partnership that lasted 373 balls to save the match on the final day as the tourists scored 451 batting first, before holding out on 6-204 after India made 9-603.
Then, in 2019, India blew South Africa away, enforcing the follow on to bowl the Proteas out for 162 and 133 after making 9-497 batting first.
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