England want pitch that allows batters to hit through the line against India: Leeds curator

To acclimatize to the English conditions, BCCI sent the squad with enough time for preparations in hand. But the weather in the UK is always unpredictable, like their pitches. In general, the surfaces of the stadiums, especially in Headingley, give pace bowlers extra support from the soil. S

o, unlike spinner-heavy playing combinations, teams like to choose a multi-pacer lineup. The upcoming match in Leeds, starting on June 20, is considered important for both of the nations. India, with their newly appointed young captain Shubman Gill, will try to get off to the mark with a spectacular win.

On the other hand, the home team, England, will look forward to a fresh start after multiple injury issues over the last few months. The fate of the match can be dependent on the nature of the wicket. The pitch curator of Richard Robinson revealed that England has asked for a good surface.

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According to Robinson, the yard will offer something extra to the pacers on the opening day and gradually will dry because of natural heat. Then, batters can play strokes in a much smoother manner. "They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball. That’s really what they’re looking for," the ground curator of Leeds was quoted by ESPNcricinfo. 

Leeds' surface took the centre of discussions

No matter what the nature of the surface will be, the newly shaped Team India will have to prove that even without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin, they have the ability to win matches under tough conditions. BCCI officials will closely monitor Shubman Gill, as they have high hopes for the right-handed batter.

"You don’t pick captains for one or two tours. You want to invest in something that will help us go forward. You are hoping it’s the right call. You have been seeing progress in the last year or two. It is going to be as tough as it gets. Maybe he’ll have to learn on the job. But we are very confident, and that is the reason we have picked him," the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, said.