Gambhir added that it will be interesting to see the kind of wicket the teams get as both sides are capable of outclassing each other on the field.
Disagreeing with Kohli's assessment of the third Test that ended with India crushing England by 10 wickets inside two days, Cook said batting was near impossible
he found it difficult to pronounce names such as Sachin Tendulkar and Swami Vivekananda. The US president also struggled with the pronunciation of 'chaiwala', 'Sholay' and the 'Vedas'.
'Whole Sports Complex is Sardar Patel Sports Enclave. Only the name of one Cricket Stadium, within that complex has been named as #NarendramodiStadium'
Shah, the son of India's Home Minister Amit Shah, will have his task cut out as the ICC looks to find an acceptable solution to implement the 'Hybrid Model' for the Champions Trophy originally scheduled in Pakistan.
With capacity for 110,000 spectators, the Motera Stadium will dislodge the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the world's largest cricket stadium.
Before the 'Namaste Trump' event, cultural events will be held at the 1.10-lakh seating capacity stadium, for which several artists, including well-known singer Kailash Kher, have been invited.
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera is now renamed Narendra Modi Stadium.
Prior to the start of the World Cup final, Indian Air Force's aerobatic team Surya Kirans put up a grand show at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The Motera pitch was a 'tricky one' but England's batting coach Jonathan Trott feels that it would be a 'disservice' to solely blame the 22-yard strip instead of focussing on the chinks in their armoury.
The second Test pitch led to some sort of criticism from former players like Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh and the duo termed the pitch as "substandard".
The 'Namaste Trump' event is based on the lines of 'Howdy Modi' programme that was addressed by Narendra Modi and Trump during the PM's trip to Houston last September.
As India and England prepare to battle it out in the first Test of the four-match series at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad, Rajneesh Gupta traces the track record of Tests at the venue.
The skipper, however, hinted that there would be a bit more lateral movement with the pink ball which can 'work in their favour'.
Several former players, including India's Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman, on Thursday said that the turning Motera pitch, on which India defeated England by 10 wickets inside two days, was not ideal for Test cricket, an opinion that was not shared by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has joined India counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin in defending Ahmedabad's spin-friendly pitch where India thumped England inside two days of the day-night third Test on Thursday.
India figured out England's general "ineptitude against spin" after the second Test in Chennai which created panic in the visiting team ranks, triggering a batting collapse during their loss in the pink ball third Test in Motera inside two days, former Australia captain Ian Chappell said.
England skipper Joe Root said it is up to the International Cricket Council, and not the players, to decide whether the "difficult" Motera pitch is suitable for Test cricket after his side was crushed inside two days by India in a low-scoring day-night encounter.
With both the Indian and Australian Prime Minister set to visit the Motera Stadium for the opening day of the fourth Test, the security has been beefed up at the stadium.
The Motera track may have received a lot of flak after the pink ball Test ended inside two days but it is unlikely to attract any severe sanctions from the game's governing body ICC with the pitch for the final game set to be a batting beauty.
Coloured seating at the newly-built Motera stadium could make the job of the fielders a little bit harder in terms of citing the pink ball in the day-night Test.
Statistical highlights of the opening day in the first Test between India and England, in Motera, Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
A virgin Motera pitch has become the big talking point as captain Virat Kohli looks to get the combination right with India looking to continue their momentum to trouble England in the day-night third Test match, starting in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
The pitch drawing flak from former players like Vaughan, though Gavaskar credited the Indian spinners rather than blaming the surface.
The team inspected the facilities but remained tightlipped on its observations.
Virat Kohli wants India to approach the pink-ball Test against England like a normal five-day match but with the sessions reversed, the home captain said on the eve of the third match in Ahmedabad from Wednesday.
Security has been tightened following report of threats to damage the pitch in Ahmedabad.
The Motera pitch came in for sharp criticism from some former players after England were bowled out for 112 and 81 in the two innings as India crushed them by 10 wickets to grab a 2-1 lead
India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni described the Motera featherbed as a bowler-hostile track even as his Sri Lanka counterpart Kumar Sangakkara had no issues with the strip, calling it a 'true' wicket.
After conceding a first innings lead of 125, Lankans were precariously placed at 196 for four on the penultimate day of the four-day match against India 'A'.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni credited the bowlers for his team's nine-wicket victory over England in the opening cricket Test in Ahmedabad on Monday, saying that the spinners put in a lot of hard work on a wicket that did not offer much turn.
Statistical highlights of the second day's play in the second cricket Test between India and South Africa at Motera on Friday:
Pitch curator Dhiraj Parsana says the wicket for the second Test between India and South Africa will have good bounce for the seamers on the first two days and be good for batting after that.
The opening Test between India and New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera ended as a draw on the fifth and final day on Monday. The visitors, chasing 295 to win, had made 22 for one when play was called off.
Miffed with the docile pitch in the drawn Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka, feisty Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Saturday said such batting-friendly tracks would kill cricket's longest format.
The Surya Kiran aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force will perform an air show ahead of the World Cup final in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Given a threat issued by Khalistani separatists, about 3,500 police personnel will be deployed at Narendra Modi stadium in Motera area and other parts of Ahmedabad during the opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup on October 5.
Tactician par excellence Gautam Gambhir couldn't have envisaged a battle of brains with a more different kind of adversary than the smiling yet ruthless Pat Cummins as Kolkata Knight Riders face a spirited Sunrisers Hyderabad in a mega IPL final in Chennai on Sunday.
A resolute effort from Jesse Ryder (103) and debutant Kane Williamson (87 not out) helped New Zealand put up a solid reply to India's formidable first innings total on the third day of the opening Test in Motera on Saturday. At stumps on day three (after 117.3 overs), the visitors had made 331 for five.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances