India wants bouncy wicket in Ahmedabad

INDORE: India is on course to reach its second straight World Test Championship final and if it ends up winning here, a pace-friendly track could be laid out in the final game of the series in Ahmedabad to prepare for the summit clash in London in June.

Before the start of the Border-Gavaskar trophy, India needed to beat Australia 3-0 or 3-1 to qualify for the WTC final and keep the destiny in its own hands.

India skipper Rohit Sharma doesn’t want to jump the gun but, ahead of the third Test beginning at the Holkar Stadium on Wednesday, he said the team has already spoken about simulating English conditions in the fourth and final game against Australia.

There is a strong possibility that India might end up facing Australia in the WTC final.

“It will be a different ball game (facing Australia in England) for both teams, actually. There is definitely a possibility of that (Ahmedabad as preparatory game for WTC final). We have already spoken about it. We need to get the guys ready for it,” Rohit said in a media interaction.

Rohit Sharma said Shardul Thakur becomes an important member of the side in overseas conditions.

“The important one is Shardul Thakur, because he comes into the planning for us. We don’t know how ready he is since he has just got married (laughs). We don’t know how many overs he has bowled. But that thought process is definitely there.

“If we get the result we want here (Indore), we might think of doing something different in Ahmedabad for sure.

“But we are not there yet. We have to win this game and then talk about it. That’ll be the right thing to do,” he said.

Batting in India demands unwavering focus and patience, and that is what Australia would aim to do in the third Test after “going away” from its plans in Delhi, said Steve Smith on Tuesday.

“Delhi was probably a difficult place to play the sweep with the variable bounce, more than anything else. A couple of us (including Smith) went away from our plans. That was disappointing.”