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Rollers In Cricket: Its Uses, Different Types And Why England Get To Choose For Day 5

Abhinav Tyagi

Roller In Test Cricket - (Source: @ECB/X.com)Roller In Test Cricket - (Source: @ECB/X.com)

The ongoing India vs England series has reached an exciting stage where the fifth Test will move to Day 5 with the hosts requiring 35 runs to win and only four wickets in hand. The fans are gearing up for an exciting day of cricket, where any team can seal the win. 

The Indian fans are happy as overcast conditions are predicted for the entire Day 5 with dark clouds looming over the Kia Oval. The conditions will be an advantage for India, but the hosts, too, would be looking to neutralise the situation by using heavy rollers.

For the past 24 hours, several fans and cricket pundits have mentioned that Rollers will play a big part in the remainder of the match. Recently, cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle too emphasised the use of rollers for Day 5 and took to Twitter to explain his case. 

"I am glad there are people other than me asking why the covers couldn't have come off in time to allow us to witness an extraordinary climax. Now we come back tomorrow, but the heavy roller can be used, and that can be a game-changer," tweeted Bhogle.

Now, this article will shed light on the importance of rollers in a Test match, the types of rollers and why England gets to decide the choice of roller for Day 5. 

Why Are Rollers Used in Test Cricket?

A Test match is played over five days, and the pitch starts to tear apart with visible cracks and irregularities. Thus, the curator opts for a roller to bind the surface and remove any unevenness. Rollers are vital tools in preparing and maintaining a cricket pitch during multi-day matches. Rolling helps in several ways. 

  • Compact the soil— A roller helps creating consistent bounce and pace throughout the day. 
  • Level out irregularities— It also removes small cracks and unevenness, making the surface uniform.
  • Manage moisture— affecting how much the pitch dries out or retains dampness.

Notably, the choice of roller and its timing can significantly impact whether a pitch favours batters or bowlers.

Types of Rollers

Light Roller: Weighs between 500 and 1,000kg. Used to gently settle the surface; minimal compaction; used early, and when a side doesn’t want to flatten the pitch too much. Ideally, the light roller helps the bowlers. 

Medium Roller: (~1,000-1,500kg) Less common, sometimes used as an intermediary.

Heavy Roller: (1,500kg and more) Strongly compacts the surface, smooths out most cracks, flattens roughness, and often leads to a period when batting becomes easier, though the effect can be temporary.

Thus, England are wanting to have a heavy roller to rule out any sort of advantage to India regarding the surface. 

Why England Get To Decide The Roller on Day 5

By ICC rules and the Laws of Cricket, the batting team’s captain chooses whether the pitch is rolled each day, and if so, which roller (heavy or light) is used before play starts (except before the first day, when only a light roller may be allowed.

Using the heavy roller can temporarily neutralise cracks and make scoring less risky and also Allow the chasing team to start with a more “batting-friendly” surface. The effect can be short-lived, but on a tense final day, those first 10–15 overs may decide the match.