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India's batting struggles were on display on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England in Ranchi on February 24, Saturday. The Ranchi pitch, with its visible cracks and potential for spin, surprisingly did not see much ball turn. Meanwhile, Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey noted the unexpected variable bounce of the pitch as a significant factor.
India reeling at 219/7
England wrapped up their innings at 353 at the start of Day 2, while India faced difficulties in their batting efforts, closing the day at 219/7 with only Dhruv Jurel remaining as a recognised batter. Despite both Ravindra Jadeja and Shoaib Bashir claiming four wickets each, Mhambrey was particularly taken aback by the inconsistent bounce offered by the pitch.
“I don’t think this is a turner, it has variable bounce on lower side. There was no instruction from management to ask for a turner. That’s how nature of soil here has been. It has always been on slow side. No ball has spun sharply yet, so wouldn’t call it turner,” said the Indian batting coach at the post day press conference.
The pitch consistently stayed low, resulting in several deliveries eluding Ben Foakes and subsequently reaching the boundary. As questions linger over the peculiar nature of the Ranchi pitch, India aims to minimize the deficit as much as possible before attempting to dismiss the visiting team for a modest total.
“We didn’t expect the pitch to play that low on second day. It was expected to play slower but we weren’t expecting variable bounce,” Paras Mhambrey further added.
England tighten screw on India
Led by Shoaib Bashir's impressive performance, England managed to keep the Indian batsmen under control, securing the advantage on Day 2 of the fourth Test, despite a determined effort from Yashasvi Jaiswal. By the close of play on Day 2, India was struggling at 219/7, leaving England with a 134-run lead and strengthening their position in the Ranchi Test. Dhruv Jurel (30 off 58) and Kuldeep Yadav (17 off 72) were holding the innings together for India after the hosts had slumped to 177/7. Shoaib Bashir was particularly destructive, dismissing four of India's top five batsmen earlier in the day.
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