Chennai: India’s quality pace attack, comprising a world-class operator in Jasprit Bumrah, could prompt the hosts to prepare seamer-friendly pitches. Usually India have the traditional sub-continental spinning tracks for Tests. However, the series this time around, the pitches could be different against England, feels visiting opener Rory Burns. The 30-year-old Rory Burns said one shouldn’t put too much pressure on their spin duo of Dom Bess and Jack Leach. This is because they will be up against a formidable Indian batting line-up good against spin.
“Honestly, I don’t think you need to put too much expectation on Bess and Leach. They will go about their business and they have bowled in Sri Lanka to get into the groove. Now it is about switching their skills on to Indian surfaces,” Burns pointed out.
“I think they have both been here before on different tours with the Indian Lions. So they have experience of playing in India,” Burns said during a virtual media conference Thursday. “But you don’t want to put too much expectation on them without knowing about the surfaces. With Indian seam attack, the surfaces might be slightly seamer friendly, there is a Day/Night Test, so yeah it could be a bit different,” added Burns.
The left-handed opener agreed that preparing for an unconventional bowler like Bumrah is an onerous task. “He’s quite hard man to prepare for, isn’t he? He’s obviously unique in terms of how he comes and bowls. We’ll just be working on those angles, try to work our way on seam and swing and play the best we can,” Burns said.
Burns had skipped the Sri Lanka series, having opted for a paternity break. So the only reference point of preparation for him is India’s recent Test series against England.
“Homework? No. I have watched the India-Australia series, saw the most recent. No, I have played with a few other guys before, not in that respect, but I have played with them,” he informed.
A three-day practice is all England team would get after a five-day hard quarantine. Burns has been shadow batting in his hotel room in front of the mirror. He accepted that the situation in a post-COVID world is challenging.
“Yes, it is obviously a challenge playing. You know that is not much we can do about that schedule. It is what is placed in front of yourself and you waste time thinking about that and it is not going to be (beneficial),” Burns asserted.
“We have got three days now to put in our work and try and get used to conditions we are going to face. It is just a mental switch really, like we saw (Dom) Sibley’s from innings one to innings two in that last Test in Sri Lanka,” Burns informed.
The Sri Lanka series which England won 2-0 could well be a template for how the approach should be on the Indian tracks. “We managed to switch the mental approach and it worked out. So I guess that’s the challenge and fortunately I am around a little while now, so now I have some experience drawn,” he said.