Kotak says Lord's wicket will be challenging but expects his batters to extend purple patch
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is expecting the pitch for the Lord's Test to be much more challenging for the batters than the flat tracks of first two games but as long his batters don't play “undue shots”, it should not be a problem.
The wicket two days before the game had plenty of grass, some of it would be shaved on the eve of the match.
Jasprit Bumrah will be back for India and Jofra Archer is expected to play his first Test in more than four years.
Indian batters, led by Shubman Gill, have been in top form with hundreds coming from the bat of captain himself, K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant.
“The is a little green in the wicket, which we saw in the last two matches, it is more than that. But tomorrow, the last cutting they do the day before the match, after that we can talk," Kotak said on Tuesday.
“And generally a Lord's... The scores of the first and second innings are comparatively low. So, we can expect that it will be helpful for bowlers.
"For the batsmen, the same thing, I believe, is the mindset. Spending time on the wickets is the best friend you can have. The more time you spend on the wicket, the more you will adjust to it."
Asked for his thoughts on Archer's return, he said, “It will be a challenge, Jofra coming in. There might be a couple of bowling changes in the England team."
“Wicket also will be a little more challenging, it seems. And, after last two games, if, as a host, England think that they want to give a little bit more challenging wicket, it is fair enough. You bat well, it is fine. If you don't any wicket will be a challenge,” said the Saurashtra veteran.
Gill reaping rewards of mental shift
Gill has made a few technical changes to his red ball batting but the change in his mindset has helped more in the middle. He has aggregated a staggering 585 runs in four innings.
“I don't think anything has changed because he is a captain. I think his mindset, which I saw in Australia in our initial practice match here, and which I saw in the series in India, So, there are definitely technical changes."
“He has made some technical changes, and he is doing it. He does it in every batsman without saying anything. So, it is a lot more on his mindset."
“He is in a mindset where he wants to give little time to the wicket. As I said before, his skill is such that he can convert any loose ball into a boundary. So, he is scoring in 150-140 balls."
“I would say more mental. And, definitely a little technical adjustment he has made. But, I think it is more mental,” Kotak added.
© 2025