India will go into the Perth Test starting on November 22 without a practice match, having canceled a scheduled intra-squad game set for November 15-17, which was to be held behind closed doors.
Curator cautions India ahead of first Test!!
India vs Australia Test : India is set to face a challenging reception in Australia, as the pitch at Optus Stadium for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been designed to provide “good bounce and pace,” consistent with the historically lively surfaces in Perth.
The Indian team will approach the Perth Test, commencing on November 22, without the benefit of a practice match, following the cancellation of an intra-squad game that was to take place behind closed doors from November 15 to 17. Instead, the focus will shift to centre-wicket training at the nearby WACA stadium, where the Australian team will also refine their skills. “This is Australia, this is Perth… I’m preparing for really good pace, really good bounce, and really good carry,” stated Isaac McDonald, the head curator for Western Australia Cricket, in an interview with ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
McDonald aims to create a pitch reminiscent of the one he prepared for the first Test against Pakistan in December of the previous year.
In that encounter, Pakistan was dismissed for just 89 runs in their second innings, leading to a significant 360-run victory for Australia.
The pitch exhibited cracks as the match progressed, resulting in batters like Marnus Labuschagne sustaining blows to their hands.
In total, the Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc claimed 12 of the 20 wickets taken from the Pakistani side.
More recently, Pakistani bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf dismantled the Australian batting order, bowling them out for 140 in the third ODI held at the same venue.
McDonald expressed his intention to leave some grass on the pitch to enhance its competitiveness.
“Ten millimeters is a solid starting point. Last year, ten millimeters worked well with the prevailing conditions and maintained the pitch’s integrity for the initial days. Live grass on the pitch contributes to speed.
“Both bowling units (Australia and Pakistan) were quite fast last year, and I am hoping for a similar outcome this year for the match against India,” he concluded.
