A substandard pitch could have attracted sanctions for the refurbished Narendra Modi Stadium.
'Hope to see full stands like last time. Under the leadership of Honble Prime minister @narendramodi Amit Shah @AmitShah ..'
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".
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.
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.
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.
Statistical highlights of the second day's play in the second cricket Test between India and South Africa at Motera on Friday:
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.
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.
Rahul Dravid and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni cracked sparkling centuries as India staged a remarkable recovery after a dramatic top-order collapse on the opening day of the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Motera on Monday.
India beat England by nine wickets in the opening Test in Motera on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
A BCCI official on Monday confirmed that fans will be allowed to come in for the Test matches in Motera.
Tillakaratne Dilshan produced a scintillating century as Sri Lanka put up a spirited batting display to leave the first Test against India evenly poised at the end of the second day at Motera on Tuesday.
Bikash Mohapatra analyses what went wrong for India, and right for England, in the just-concluded second Test in Mumbai.
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.
One of the very few batsmen to emerge with his head held high in the big defeat to India in the first Test, England skipper Alastair Cook on Monday said it was time for all the team members to chip in.
With a record that was anything to be proud of, the only way India could have beaten the South Africans in the ongoing Test series was by using 'home advantage' to the optimum, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.
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