Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 22 (ANI): England pacer Jofra Archer on Monday said that the newly-built Motera Stadium is probably one of the best he has ever been to. The four-match series between India and England currently stands level at 1-1 and now both teams will lock horns in the pink-ball Test from Wednesday at the Motera Stadium.
“The stadium is beautiful, the seats are beautiful. The ground is probably one of the best I have ever been to. Half of 1,10,000 would be present at the stadium, this is the most we get at most places anyway. Ready to see what unfolds when the match starts,” said Archer while talking to ECB’s media team on Monday.
“Pink-ball feels pretty normal, to be honest. It is pretty much the same, it is a little bit hard to shine. It does a little bit more when the lights come on as compared to daytime. This is going to be new for me if I play the pink-ball Test with the SG ball. The next Test is very important, if we go all the way, that would put us in the driver’s seat,” he added.
Archer had missed the second Test of the series against India after having an injection in his right elbow. The pacer remained tight-lipped when he was asked whether he would be given a chance in the playing XI for the third Test.
“Always nice to be in competition for a spot in the team, if I do not get it then it’s fine. I would rather win the series than play a lot of games. I could have played the second Test if needed but I was going to be rested anyway, I took the injection so that I could have enough time to be back,” said Archer.
When asked about England’s much-debated rotation policy, Archer said: “Resting is necessary looking at Covid-19. Rest and rotation are necessary. There is a lot of cricket this year, we have a big squad, we are giving guys a chance to show what they can do. The beauty of the big squad is that we can see everyone on a daily basis, you can still see what they can do.”
India had achieved an emphatic 317-run win against England in the second Test of the ongoing four-match series. As a result, the series stands level at 1-1 and the Virat Kohli-led side has also reached the second spot in World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
India remain in contention to make the final of the ICC World Test Championship. The victory in Chennai on Tuesday has lifted India to the second position with 69.7 percentage points on the table but they cannot afford to lose another match as they need to win 2-1 or 3-1 to qualify for the final of the maiden edition of the championship.
England, who led the table after winning the opening Test, has slipped to the fourth spot with 67.0 percentage points. They can still qualify, but for that, they must win both remaining matches of the series against India. (ANI)