IND vs AUS: IND AUS Delhi Test – Nagpur pitch curator has watered down Australia’s aspirations of practising spin. After Australia were bundled out for 91 in Nagpur in the 2nd innings on Day 3, coach Andrew McDonald had requested the pitch curator to keep the pitch as is. Pat Cummins & Co wanted to practise on the same demonic pitch before travelling to Delhi. However, curator Ashish Bhowmik had watered the entire pitch, forcing Australia to cancel their practice session. While Australian media has reported it as sabotage, it is a norm to water the surface after match. Follow India vs Australia LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Australian batters failed miserably in Nagpur as they could only post 177 and 91 in two innings compared to India’s 400. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin shared 15 wickets out of 20 between them as India took the 1st Test in just 3 days.
IND vs AUS: Australia FORCED to CANCEL practice on DEMONIC Nagpur pitch after curator WATERS DOWN pitch despite requests from Pat Cummins & Co, Check OUT
As Delhi Pitch is also expected to be on the similar lines, the Australian cricket team wanted to practice on Nagpur pitch with their spinners and net bowlers. But on Sunday, which would have been Day 4, hours before leaving the hotel, Australia learnt that the pitch is no longer available. VCA Stadium ground staff watered the surface not long after the match ended in 3 days.
Why did Australia want to practice on Nagpur pitch?
- Australia made a special request to the VCA Stadium authorities to keep the pitch intact.
- With the Test finishing in three days, Australia had two days in hand to get some valuable practice on the same surface.
- Australia were bowled out in a session and the head coach wanted to give their top-order a batting practice.
- Australia could only manage 177 and 91 in two innings while India piled up 400 runs in first innings alone.
- The Aussies will now resort to nets session before travelling to Delhi for the 2nd Test which starts on Friday.
As for the Nagpur pitch, instead of complaining, coach Andrew McDonald wants the players to learn and adapt as quickly as possible.
“Our job is to solve the problems that the wicket presents and that’s the great part about Test cricket, is the conditions change from country to country and from venue to venue within the country. Clearly, it’s dry and it’s what we probably expected, to be honest. Coming to Nagpur, the message was it is the biggest turning wicket in India and (with) high reverse swing. I think it all matches up and we’re excited by the challenge that confronts us. I think we’ve all seen the same pitch circulating around,” McDonald told SEN.
However, despite hue and cry about pitch doctoring in Australian media and ex-players, McDonald has dismissed those thoughts.
“I don’t think so. I think that you play your home conditions. We’ve got extra bounce in Australia and sometimes some grass. They call it Test cricket for a reason. All your skills get tested and having different conditions in different countries is great. It would be a plain old game if the conditions were the same everywhere you went,” McDonald said.
IND vs AUS: Australia FORCED to CANCEL practice on DEMONIC Nagpur pitch after curator WATERS DOWN pitch despite requests from Pat Cummins & Co, Check OUT
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