England skipper Joe Root on Wednesday said the pitch for the fourth and final Test against India in Ahmedabad looked very similar to the one on which his team was decimated in the third game.
The right-handed batsman went on to add that the visitors have now learnt their lessons and will be ready for the big challenge in the encounter beginning on Thursday.
India needs to either draw or win the match to find a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June, while a win for England would revive some of its lost confidence after the thrashing inside two days in the third Test.
"It's looking very similar. I think the most important thing in cricket is that we learn all the lessons from the last two Test matches and make sure we're back for it," Root said when asked about the raging debate over the pitch in the last Test.
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"It's important that if we get ourselves in a similar position in the first innings, we really make that count and try and get some scoreboard pressure in the game, you know, early on," he told at the virtual press conference.
Root added that the English batsmen will be looking to build bigger partnerships.
"I think that as batters if you don't score runs, you will always look at yourselves, you'll always try and find ways to improve and we've certainly done that.
"We've looked at a couple of dismissals and how we're going to find ways of building big partnerships and getting some significant scores on it if it is a similar surface this time around," he said.
He also informed that the team has not finalised its playing XI at this stage, but made it clear that off-spinner Dom Bess was up for selection.
"No, not at this stage and we're gonna have another day to see what that wicket finally looks like, ahead of things and we'll get a team at the toss.
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"Bess is certainly up for selection. He has been training really well. He's got a very good character and if he gets a chance to play, I'm sure he'll be desperate to try and exploit the surface if it's anything like the last two games," the England skipper claimed.
- Root downplays illness in England camp ahead of final Test -
Joe Root also revealed that an illness hit the touring party earlier this week, but all members of the squad trained ahead of the fourth Test against India and are available for selection.
The English superstar did not specify the nature of the illness but said he has a full squad to choose from.
"The guys are fit and available for the game tomorrow. That gives us a little more time to name the squad," Root said.
"So, everyone in that way is as prepared how they would have liked it for the Test match," he added.
Root said assistant coach Paul Collingwood was one of two members worse affected by the sickness. India currently leads the four-match series 2-1 and Root's men will be looking to spoil the home team's chance of making the first-ever WTC summit clash.
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