IND vs AUS Test: WATCH Australia practice on SPECIAL PITCH in Sydney to challenge Ashwin-Axar spin dominance, Check OUT

IND vs AUS Test: IND AUS Nagpur Test – Australia Sydney Camp – Australia are preparing for ‘Everest Challenge’ especially against the two spin magicians — R Ashwin and Axar Patel. After losing three consecutive Test series against India, Australia are determined to bounce back. But as they know the conditions in India will be tougher than ever with WTC Finals in sight, Australia have prepared special scarified dusty pitches in Sydney. A handful of players are practising in Bon Andrews Oval in North Sydney are practising before their departure on Tuesday. Follow India vs Australia LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.

“Kieran has done a fantastic job here with the groundstaff to produce exactly what we want. We feel as though out there the surfaces we got are very similar to what we’re going to confront in India. It is very difficult to replicate but we feel as though we’ve got close to that. So the ground staff have done a fantastic job,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald told ESPNCricinfo.

IND vs AUS Test: SCARED of Ashwin-Axar spin THREAT, Australia practice on SPECIAL PITCH in Sydney to prepare for India Tour, Check OUT

IND AUS Nagpur Test: Cameron Green out of 1st Test, Peter Handscomb in line to play first Test to tackle Ashwin-Axar-Jadeja trio, Follow LIVE Updates

Australia Special Pitch – Apart from the dusty nature of the pitch, it has significant cracks to simulate Indian pitches. With India using SG balls for Tests in India, spin is set to dictate terms.

In the last full-fledged Test series against England, Ashwin and Axar bagged 59 wickets combined in 2021 in 4 Tests. Aware of the wickets, Australia are leaving no stones unturned to take revenge. India have not lost any home Test series since 2012.

Furthermore, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has arranged special turning pitches for Australia to practice. As Australia are not playing any warm-up matches, they will have to depend on the five-day camp in Bengaluru to prepare for the four-match Test series. Australia has requested BCCI to provide the team with dusty pitches in Bengaluru.

IND vs AUS Test: SCARED of Ashwin-Axar spin THREAT, Australia practice on SPECIAL PITCH in Sydney to prepare for India Tour, Check OUT

Australia beginning preparations for India with a short camp in Sydney. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/vQR5a1qN2H

— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 29, 2023

Australia Test Team will arrive in Bengaluru on February 1. They will spend five days there before flying to Nagpur for the 1st Test.

“Often there’s no real connection between that practice game into the first Test match. We feel as though we can control the surfaces here. We get a bit more control in Bangalore to replicate what we’re going to come up against. Then we go into Nagpur fresh and hopefully, it pays dividends at the back end,” McDonald said.

It must be noted that Australia prepared in the same fashion before the Pakistan tour. Pat Cummins & Co ended up winning the series. Australia have stopped playing warm-up matches in Test tours. Instead, they have set up preparatory camps. However, this time with BBL 2023 going on, their camp has been hampered. Most of the first-team players are missing the Sydney camp.

“There’s been assurances given about pitches in Bengaluru. We’ll get there and most groundstaff around the world are pretty good at allowing us to get what we want. We’ll wait and see,” McDonald said.

IND vs AUS Test: SCARED of Ashwin-Axar spin THREAT, Australia practice on SPECIAL PITCH in Sydney to prepare for India Tour, Check OUT

Australia Test squad for India tour: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

Australia Tour of India 2023: