• Source:JND
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England captain Ben Stokes is left clueless about the nature of the pitch for the upcoming fourth Test in Ranchi and asserted that he has 'never seen something like that before' due to its dual nature. According to Stokes, the pitch is dark and crumbly with few cracks and also holds some grass. The visiting captain has no idea how it will behave in the match as it is not a usual sight in India.

"I've never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so I don't know what could happen. If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India. 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," Stokes told BBC Sport.

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Currently, England are trailing 2-1 in the five-match series after crushing 434-run defeat in the third Test in Rajkot. England have the last chance in Ranchi to level the series before the caravan moves to Dharamsala for the fifth and final match of the series.

Stokes said there is a 'possible chance' of him bowling in the match as he is not having pain in his left knee after his bowling spell.

"I will just have to wait and see how everything is. It is the longest I have bowled in six months so let's see how everything pulls up," said Stokes.

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On their crumbling defeat in the last Test, Stokes said he is looking forward to the next game after taking learnings from it.

"It's sport. 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," Stokes said.

"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," he added.

The fourth Test between India and England will be played in Ranchi from Friday, February 23.