IND vs ENG 2nd Test Match: Boundaries shortened to counter two-spinner plan?

England captain Ben Stokes reacts after bowling a delivery on day one of the second Test. (AP Photo)

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Late selection meeting between Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill and Ajit Agarkar near pitch?

Poll Do you believe the boundary dimensions at Edgbaston should be standardized for all Test matches? Yes, consistency is key. No, variability adds excitement.

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BIRMINGHAM: The boundary dimensions here at Edgbaston were an intriguing topic of discussion when play began on Day One of the second Test. The boundary cushions looked distinctly asymmetrical and regulars at the ground said they had not seen such short boundaries before in Test matches at this venue.The boundary fence on the side of the scoreboard, which is wide long-off for a righthanded batter from the pavilion end, looked particularly jarring. There were jokes made in hushed tones, with some even wondering if the playing area left unused could have been used for a kids’ game!The longest boundary was 65 metres, which happens to be the cow-corner hit. The straight boundaries are around 60 metres. India, interestingly, had announced well in advance that they would go in with two spinners, which begs the question if the boundaries were brought in to enable England’s batters to go for the big hits.One obvious vulnerability in the English batting has been their inability to take on spin, with the Indian camp publicly stating that spin could contain England’s batting lineup.India picked Washington Sundar ahead of Kuldeep Yadav for this Test because of his ability to bowl tight lines for longer periods of time, besides his better batting abilities down the order.However, the comparatively shorter boundaries are sure to encourage the uninhibited home batters to go big against India’s spinners.It must be recalled that during the 2019 World Cup, the Indian team was left unhappy when one side of the boundary here was left unusually short for their match against England. The English batters nullified India’s in-form spinners Kuldeep and Chahal.ICC regulations say boundary sizes can range from 59m to 90m. It is believed that certain parts of the boundary were brought in by at least 5-10m. There should also be a distance of at least nine feet between the ropes and advertising boards, but one side looked 20-25 feet away from the boards!

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