“…So it is of course matter grass…”: Cricket Australia throws open challenge to Indian batters

New Delhi: After the debacle in Perth, team Australia is leaving no stone unturned to make the lives of the Indian batters difficult. Now, ahead of the pink-ball test in Adelaide, Damian Hough, the head curator of the pitch at the venue, said that six millimetres of grass will be used on the pitch. The Adelaide Test which is scheduled to begin on December 6 will see the men in blue enter the contest both with a physical and mental edge.

Earlier, under the captaincy of Jasprti Bumrah, the Indian team routed the Aussies both in terms of bat and ball. However, Adelaide brings back bitter memories for Team India, with the flashbacks of 36 all-out still afresh in the minds of the people. Team India will, however, look to exorcise those memories and claim an unassailable 2-0 lead.

“…It is of course matter grass…”: Is Damian Hough looking to give an edge to the Aussies in Adelaide?

Speaking about the pitch report at Adelaide, Damian Hough, the pitch curator remarked:

Everything seems to stay the same. So it is of course matter grass, even grass cover, good deep moisture, but dry and hard. So something where the quicks will get a bit out of it, spinners will be able to get some bite and turn and bounce…

Furthermore, Hough said that the ground staff is trying to produce a pitch that could offer a fine contest between bat and ball. This means that both teams will have a level playing field in Adelaide. It could get hard to bat under the lights with the new ball, especially with both teams having quality bowling attacks.

On the possibility of pitch changing with the progress of the match as it changed from challenging to easy-to-bat on during the Perth Test, Hough said that while he cannot predict the pitch will change, one always wants pitches to change in Test cricket.

Damian also said that the pitch in Adelaide should be able to do enough with the new ball for pacers and spinners alike, but also aid batters once the ball gets older.