England batsman Zak Crawley gave insight into the Vizag pitch for the second Test between India and England. He said that although he himself has not seen the wicket, his teammates told him that the surface looks better for seamers.
The Vizag pitch for the second Test between India and England is keeping everyone interested. There has been a lot of speculation about how the surface will perform, especially after the hosts lost the first match in Hyderabad.
Many are of the opinion that the BCCI could groom the rank changers to favor themselves and compensate for the loss of the first game. English batsmen tend to find it difficult to avoid spin and that was the case the last time they toured India.
The first Test wicket worked well as it favored both the batsmen and the spinners. England made good use of the conditions and outclassed the hosts to win the game by 28 runs. Zack Crawley played a pivotal role in England’s victory as he gave his team brutal starts to the game.
Zak Crawley scored 20 runs in the first innings and then followed it up with a 36-run knock in the second innings. His striking early on ensured England got off to a good start and put pressure on the team.
While talking about the pitch for the second Test, Zak Crawley said that the surface looks green. The batsman also spoke about the quality of the Indian team and said that it is important for them to stick to what they want to do.
Zak Crawley also mentioned that they had good preparations in Abu Dhabi and everything went the way they wanted. Speaking to reporters before the second match against India, he explained:
“So this wicket looks a little better to sew, according to the guys, I haven’t seen it, like I said, but that’s what they said. It’s a little bit more humid, I think they seem to be a little bit greener here, so we’ll see what happens there.
“They are absolutely a top team on their own terms. There are four games left, we have to continue with what we do well and hopefully the results will come from there. It was exactly what we wanted. The grounds in Abu Dhabi turned a lot because we wanted them and we made them turn.”
It takes the twist out of the plan: Zak Crawley on the sweep and the reverse sweep
Zak Crawley was further asked about England’s approach to performing sweeps and reverse sweeps. He said playing those shots makes the result go out of plan. He also highlighted how they play the shots according to the field marked by the Indian team. He added:
“I think sweeping and reverse sweeping when turning is a good option. It takes the twist out of the plan. I think the reverse sweep is more common for us, because there’s just less field there.
They always seem to have two men next to their legs. “If they had two men on the other side, we would probably play the sweep… the reverse sweep probably comes as natural to us as the normal sweep.”
England would hope to replicate Hyderabad’s performance in the next Test. They would hope to take a 2-0 lead in the series.