Pitch for second Test might be quite low and slow: Ben Foakes 

England wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes has opined that the pitch for the second Test against India in Chennai looks a bit different from the first game.

Foakes will replace Jos Buttler as England’s wicketkeeper-batsman, in sync with the team’s rotation policy that may even see first Test hero James Anderson being rested.

Speaking at a virtual conference on Thursday, Ben Foakes shared his views on the surface for the second Test. He said:

“The pitch is different to the last one. It’s a different soil. It looks darker. I think it might be quite low and slow. I haven’t got a lot of experience of the wickets out here. So, that would be my guess. I'm not 100 percent sure.”

Asked if England expect the pitch to spin earlier in comparison to the first Test, with India 0-1 down, Ben Foakes replied:

“It’s quite tricky to read the wicket. The last wicket played pretty well for probably two and a half to three days, maybe a little longer. So, I guess there is a potential that it would spin earlier. But, we are trying not to look too far ahead. We’ll see the surface on the day and try and play accordingly.”

This should be some series! 🤩🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 11, 2021

A chance for Ben Foakes to stamp his authority

Ben Foakes made a memorable Test century on his debut against Sri Lanka in Galle back in November of 2018. He followed it up with a half-century in the next Test in Pallekele. However, he hasn’t played a Test since January 2019 (vs West Indies).

At a previous press conference, Ben Foakes had stated that he is aware of the challenges in Asia, having played in Sri Lanka before. The 27-year-old had stated at the time:

“I have spent a lot of time in sub-continent conditions, I played in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago. I feel like I know the challenges that will be in store. Jos Buttler is one of the best going around and it has been a privilege to watch him go about his business.”

A great team effort to start the series and a special 100th test match for @root66. Time to recover and get ready to go again on Saturday 🙌🏏 pic.twitter.com/Pjllw7kocM

— James Anderson (@jimmy9) February 10, 2021

Having outplayed India by 227 runs, England will go into the second Test, which starts on February 13th, high on confidence.