IND vs ENG 2024: England won’t complain if pitches in India spin from ball one, says Ollie Pope ahead of Test series

England batter Ollie Pope has said they won’t complain if pitches in India spin from ball one. England is set to take on India in a five-match Test series, starting January 25 at Hyderabad. Indian pitches are always known to be conducive for the spinners and England batters will have their work cut out.

Meanwhile, India recently played on a minefield of a pitch at Newlands, Cape Town against South Africa which had all the help for the seamers. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said after the game he has no problem playing on such pitches if the other countries keep their mouth shut for Indian pitches if they assist the spinners from day one.

On the other hand, England suffered a 3-1 loss against India in their previous tour in 2021. The Three Lions last won a Test series on Indian soil in 2012 when Monty Panesr and Graeme Swann delivered the goods.

India have picked a 16-man squad for the five match series and they have picked a spin-heavy attack as the selectors have included Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

“There will be a lot of outside noise. And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well-equipped as we can,” Ollie said while speaking to The Guardian.

“In England, we might leave more grass on the pitch to suit our amazing seamers, so it’s no surprise if India do the same to suit their spinners. And I actually think low-scoring Test matches are pretty amazing to watch,” Ollie added.

Pope revealed that there won’t be any complaints from their end even if they play on spin-friendly pitches.

“I saw a fair bit of South Africa versus India, and it was great: guys scoring seriously tough runs, and the ball flying through. The scores could be similar in India, but if the pitches spin from ball one, we won’t be complaining. It’s about finding a method to combat it,” Ollie said.

England will have come up with a collective show to savor success in tough Indian conditions.