According to a report by Dainik Jagaran, the pitches India are training on have low bounce and slow speed.
The Indian team is reportedly unhappy with the practice pitches offered ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. According to a report by Dainik Jagaran, the pitches India are training on have low bounce and slow speed, which is completely unlike the traditional decks at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
These practice surfaces were prepared for players featuring in the Big Bash League (BBL), but the Indian team were forced to practice on these decks. Meanwhile, the bouncy and quick pitches adjacent to the ones offered to the Indian team are allotted to the Australian team, which will help them get conditions similar to the original game.
The low bounce already did some damage, for Rohit Sharma was hit on his knee and a viral video on the internet showed how the low bounce trapped him off Devdutt Padikkal’s bowling in the nets. Fortunately, the injury is not serious enough to keep him out of the next Test, but such pitches can cause serious physical damage.
Further, the Indian team have also been unsatisfied with the quality of local bowlers available. They haven’t been able to bowl at reasonable speeds, and the team hasn’t used them much throughout this tour.
During his press conference, Akash Deep talked about the nature of the practice pitches, stating they felt it was prepared for white-ball cricket. A few balls remained low, and while Indian players sustained some blows, there were no major concerns before the game.
“I think this (practice) wicket was for white ball which is why the ball kept low at times. But these blows are common in training. There are no major concerns because of that.”
Off-field tensions have intensified leading up to the Boxing Day Test match, starting with Virat Kohli’s verbal spat at the Melbourne Airport. Ravindra Jadeja’s press conference further exacerbated the situation, and the journalists cancelled their press game.
The poor quality of practice pitches has added more layers to the controversy. This will keep going until the match doesn’t start, and the Aussie media will leave no stone unturned to put India under the pump.
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