NEW DELHI: Keeping wicket on India’s low and turning tracks is a stumper’s litmus test and England’s Jos Buttler is keen to ace it in his only appearance in the four-Test series between the sides next week.

The Indian pitches traditionally offer little bounce, forcing wicket-keepers to stand closer, which demands quick reflex to grab any edge.

“There’s some big challenges keeping wicket, the way the pitch will change and deteriorate over the five days,” Buttler told a video conference on Saturday. “There’s less carry for the seam bowlers than we’re used to in England or Australia and South Africa.

“So you’re standing quite close and a lot of the chances are very quick, reactive chances. And then obviously the challenge of standing up to the spinners when the ball starts to turn...”

Buttler kept wicket in Sri Lanka but will return home after the opening Test in Chennai as part of England’s policy to rest their multi-format players.

Ben Foakes is likely to take over the gloves from him but Buttler wants to prove his wicket-keeping credentials before heading home.

“I certainly enjoyed being in Sri Lanka and the ball turning past the bat, it’s exciting,” the 30-year-old said. “I think wicket-keeping in spinning conditions is a lot of fun.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) rested speedster Jofra Archer and all-rounder Ben Stokes for the Sri Lanka series, while opener Rory Burns was granted paternity leave.

The trio have rejoined the team in India but Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood will be available only for the last two Tests as part of the ECB’s rotation policy.

Joe Root and his men will be happy with Ravindra Jadeja’s absence in India’s Test squad, having recently displayed their vulnerability against left-arm spin in Sri Lanka, former England batsman Mark Butcher has said.

England won both the Tests in Sri Lanka but struggled to read left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who claimed 10 wickets in the second match at Galle.

All-rounder Jadeja will miss the first two Tests after fracturing his thumb in Australia and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav is not a certainty in India’s slow bowling attack led by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

“Our batters had problems facing Embuldeniya,” Butcher, who played 71 Tests between 1997 and 2004, told Saturday’s Times of India. “England will be buoyed by Jadeja’s absence. India possesses a world-class bowling attack but Jadeja adds a different dimension to it.”

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021