Overview

• The ground staff moved ropes 5 to 10 metres inward at the behest of England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum to suit Bazball’s aggressive batting style.
• The asymmetrical boundaries now hover near the ICC minimum of 59.43 metres, with the longest edge recorded at approximately 65 metres.
• India’s advance declaration of a two-spinner lineup has intensified scrutiny over whether the tighter ropes were aimed at undermining spinners.
• Match referees affirmed that the configuration falls within World Test Championship rules mandating boundary distances between 59.43 and 82.29 metres.
• Observers point to precedents in the 2005 Ashes and the 2019 World Cup at Edgbaston when hosts similarly altered ropes to blunt visiting spin attacks.