Melbourne [Australia], December 23 : As Team India prepares for the highly anticipated fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), players encountered challenges with the practice pitches. During a Sunday practice session, a delivery from pacer Akash Deep kept low and struck captain Rohit Sharma on his left knee. While there were no fitness concerns for Rohit, Akash Deep noted that the pitch appeared to be more suited for white-ball cricket, with low bounce making it difficult to leave balls.
Key Points:
- Practice Pitch Concerns: Akash Deep observed that the practice surface kept low, which could be a challenge for batsmen. Despite minor discomfort, Rohit Sharma’s fitness was not an issue, and the incident was considered routine in cricket.
- Worn-Out Wickets: The practice wickets used by India appeared to be worn out, having been previously used for the Big Bash League. In contrast, the practice wicket for the Australian team appeared fresher, sparking some debate over pitch conditions.
- Clarification from MCG Curator: Head curator Matt Page clarified that fresh pitches are prepared only three days before a Test match. As a result, Team India had practiced on the older, worn-out wickets, while Australia’s practice pitch had been fresher as it was within the three-day preparation window.
- Boxing Day Test: The fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled to start on December 26, is crucial for both teams as they seek to secure a lead in the series, which is currently tied 1-1.
Squads for the 4th Test:
- Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
- India: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal.