The Motera pitch may have received a lot of criticism after the pink-ball Test between India and England, but it is highly unlikely to get harsh sanctions from the International Cricket Council (ICC) with the track for the final test being batting-friendly.
India needs a win or a draw to qualify for the World Test Championship after a 10-wicket victory on Thursday. With the final slated to be played at the same venue, the hosts will take minimal risks as far as the pitch is concerned.
"Expect a good hard surface which will be firm and even bounce. It will be a batting beauty and since it's a traditional red-ball match, one can expect a very high scoring contest here from March 4-8," a senior BCCI official privy to the developments told PTI.
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"If there are two matches played at the same venue, you can't hold one result in isolation. Let the final Test be over and then only based on match referee Javagal Srinath's report can ICC decide its course of action. Also as of now, the England team hasn't lodged any official complaint," the BCCI official added.
Also, the Indian team management doesn't want to prepare a track that can ideally backfire on them in a very high-stake game of cricket.
“The pink ball Test went well because it was more about the ball and the way it skidded rather than the pitch which many English former greats are panning. It was straight deliveries that they couldn't counter. But having said that these kinds of tracks have a tendency to backfire and BCCI is well aware of that," BCCI official said.
The team combination for the next Test will be an interesting one after Jasprit Bumrah was released from the squad due to personal reasons. Mohammed Siraj has a better chance than Umesh Yadav of being Ishant Sharma's new-ball partner, while it is expected that all three spinners will be automatic picks.
(With inputs from PTI)
