Cricket

England skipper Ben Stokes faced a moment of confusion during a press conference ahead of the third Test against Pakistan. A Pakistani reporter struggled to articulate a question about England's impressive 823-run total in the first Test, leading to Stokes requesting the question to be repeated three times.Despite the language barrier, Stokes remained composed and later apologized to the reporter for any miscommunication. England, looking to bounce back from their defeat in the second Test, will face a spin-friendly pitch in Rawalpindi. Stokes expressed confidence in his trio of spinners, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir, and Rehan Ahmed.Pakistan, on the other hand, have retained their spin-heavy bowling lineup, including Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Zahid Mahmood. With Pakistan hoping to build on their spin success from the previous match and England looking to dominate again, the pitch conditions will be crucial.Stokes emphasized the importance of batting first, as spin will become more significant as the match progresses. Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie echoed Stokes's sentiments, stating that the near-bald pitch is expected to favor slower bowlers.A victory for Pakistan would signal a significant turnaround in fortunes after a disappointing year in international cricket. Both teams will be looking to take advantage of the home conditions and secure a crucial win in the decisive encounter.

Pakistan's unwavering faith in their spin-heavy strategy has led them to field an unchanged starting eleven for the decisive third Test against England in Rawalpindi. This decision comes after their resounding 152-run victory in the second Test in Multan, where their triple-spin attack proved highly effective.The decision to retain the same lineup is a testament to Pakistan's belief in the curators' efforts to transform the Rawalpindi surface into a spin-friendly haven. Historically, the Pindi pitch has not been conducive to spin, but the curators have been working tirelessly to alter its behavior.Industrial-sized fans and heaters have been deployed to dry out the surface, while windbreakers have been placed around the pitch to prevent moisture from seeping in. Footmarks are visible on the strip, particularly outside the left-hander's off-stump, indicating that the pitch may offer assistance to spinners.Pakistan's head coach, Jason Gillespie, acknowledged the unique nature of the pitch. "It's an interesting pitch," he said. "We expect it to favor the slower balls here."The series is currently level at 1-1, with both teams eager to secure a series victory. Pakistan is seeking their first series win since their 2-0 triumph in Sri Lanka in July, while England is aiming to avoid a series defeat.Pakistan's unchanged lineup features Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Zahid Mahmood.

Pakistan's relentless pursuit of a turning track for the final Test against England in Rawalpindi has reached unprecedented levels. With the second Test in Multan concluding in a predictable manner, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has spared no effort in preparing a surface that will favor their spinners.Before the second Test ended, officials were already dispatched to Rawalpindi to oversee the pitch preparation. Post-match, Shan Masood expressed his desire for a turning surface. Giant heaters and windbreakers were strategically placed around the pitch to accelerate the deterioration process.England, on the other hand, has taken note of Pakistan's tactics. Harry Brook believes the Pindi surface has been "raked" to hasten its breakdown. In response, England has named a playing XI with only one specialist seamer, Gus Atkinson, and legspinner Rehan Ahmed.Pakistan's extreme measures stem from the fact that the Pindi pitch naturally favors fast bowlers. Unlike in Multan, where a used surface was available, the PCB is attempting to alter the surface's behavior. Masood and Saud Shakeel have acknowledged that Pindi has historically not been conducive to spin.However, Pakistan's recent success on a crumbling track in Multan has emboldened them to seek a similar advantage in Rawalpindi. Shakeel emphasized the importance of adapting pitch preparation to the opposition and series.Pakistan's shift towards spin-friendly pitches is a departure from their previous strategy of preparing seam-friendly surfaces to develop their young fast bowlers. However, a prolonged winless streak at home has forced a rethink.The PCB now recognizes the need to tailor pitches to specific series and opponents. Shakeel believes that preparing for SENA conditions can be done through practice and first-class cricket, while home pitches should be designed to exploit the opposition's weaknesses.Pakistan has yet to name their XI for the final Test, but the inclusion of three spinners remains a possibility. Legspinner Zahid Mahmood's ineffectiveness in Multan could slightly increase the chances of a specialist seamer being selected.

The upcoming second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune is set to feature a bald and slow-turning pitch, according to ESPNcricinfo. The pitch, primarily composed of black soil, will offer less bounce and be flatter compared to the first Test in Bengaluru.India, reeling from their lowest Test score at home (46 all out) in the first Test, is eager to level the three-match series at 2-1. The team's strategy for both the Pune and Mumbai Tests is to prepare pitches that favor spin, giving their spinners an advantage.However, there will be a key difference between the Pune and Mumbai pitches: bounce. The black soil in Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium will result in lower bounce than the red soil in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.In Bengaluru, overcast conditions and intermittent rain made the pitch more conducive to seam bowling, which New Zealand exploited to their advantage. However, in Pune, India is expected to field at least three spinners, potentially altering the combination based on the amount of spin the slow surface offers.The Indian selectors have added Washington Sundar to the squad as the 16th member, despite having Axar Patel as the fourth spinner alongside R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.Pune's MCA stadium has hosted only two previous Tests. The inaugural Test in 2016 saw Australia win by a massive 333 runs, with left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe taking 12 wickets. The pitch was rated poor by the ICC match referee due to its abrasive surface and loose topsoil. In 2019, Virat Kohli scored a double-century in an innings victory over South Africa.The pitch for the New Zealand Test is expected to be devoid of grass, with minimal seam movement outside the first hour after the toss. However, the dry surface will support reverse swing. The slowness of the surface and the lack of support for fast bowlers make the toss crucial, with teams likely to opt to bat first.

Pakistan's Test team has undergone a significant transformation for the second Test against England, opting for a spin-heavy attack on the same pitch that witnessed England's record-breaking performance in the first Test. This drastic change in strategy reflects a shift in Pakistan's approach to home pitches, with assistant coach Azhar Mahmood revealing that they had planned to prepare spin-friendly surfaces for England.Despite the expectation that the pitch would begin to turn from the second day in the first Test, Pakistan's lineup featured only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed. However, for the second Test, they have lined up with three spinners: Zahid Mahmood, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan. This will be the first time Pakistan has played a men's Test with only one fast bowler, Aamer Jamal.The decision to field three spinners stems from Pakistan's belief that spin is the best way to take 20 wickets against England on this particular pitch. Mahmood emphasized the importance of taking wickets and expressed confidence in the experience of the incoming spinners, despite their lack of recent first-class matches.However, the exclusion of Babar Azam from the team has raised eyebrows. Mahmood insists that it is a "rest" rather than a "drop," citing Pakistan's upcoming schedule. However, some question why the upcoming white-ball tours could not serve as a more appropriate avenue for rotation, given the significance of the home Test series against England.The fielding of three spinners in addition to Salman Agha, who Mahmood previously described as a "specialist spinner," indicates Pakistan's belief that the pitch will take turn. They have left grass on the surface to encourage spin and hope it will work in their favor.