England captain Ben Stokes says he has never seen anything like the pitch for the fourth Test against India.
The surface in Ranchi has cracks running down one side, just outside a right-hander’s off stump at one end and a left-hander’s off stump at the other.
At 2-1 down in the series, England need to win the game beginning on Friday to force a deciding fifth Test.
“I’ve never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so I don’t know what could happen,” said Stokes.
“If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India.”
All-rounder Stokes added: “It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different: very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it.”
England will name their team on Friday, with a number of options at their disposal.
James Anderson and Mark Wood played as a pace pairing for the first time in the series during the huge 434-run defeat in the third Test in Rajkot.
England spent most of that game in the field in extreme heat, so there is a chance that neither Anderson nor Wood will be considered fully fit for Ranchi.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir could be recalled after missing the third Test, while Ollie Robinson is an option as the sole seamer in what would be his first game for England since the third Ashes Test.
If England think run-scoring will be incredibly difficult, another alternative would be to lengthen their batting by including Dan Lawrence, who can also offer some part-time off-spin.
England’s selection may be influenced by Stokes himself, who bowled in the nets in training on Wednesday for the first time since having knee surgery in November.
Stokes initially ruled himself out of bowling on this tour, saying he had made a “pinky promise” to England physio Ben Davies.
But after England’s defeat in the third Test, the Durham man opened the door to the possibility of taking the ball in the final two Tests, saying he had been able to bowl at “100%” in training.
The 32-year-old bowled for 35 minutes, then had a long conversation with team doctor Glen Rae.
Stokes said his left knee was pain-free during the bowling spell, something that had not occurred for “years” and there is a “possible chance” he will bowl during the Test.
“I will just have to wait and see how everything is,” said Stokes. “It is the longest I have bowled in six months so let’s see how everything pulls up.”
England came in for criticism following the defeat in Rajkot, their heaviest loss in terms of runs since 1934.
Now they must not be beaten in either of the final two Tests in order to avoid a first series defeat under Stokes’ captaincy.
The skipper was not surprised at the reaction to England’s drubbing by India in the third Test, with the team facing criticism.
“It’s sport,” Stokes said. “You get plaudits when it goes well and not when it doesn’t. It’s part of it, I’ve been around long enough to know that, but we crack on.
“Defeats like last week can have a bigger effect on the team that it needs to be. But I’m comfortable with how I addressed that – I know it’s the next game that counts.”
India have rested fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, leaving 27-year-old Akash Deep in line for a Test debut.
