A wicket with a tinge of green greeted the Australian squad who got their first look at the pitch in Nagpur ahead of Thursday’s opening Test against India.
But the home side is expecting the wicket to be shaved down to bare bones by gametime and could play three or even all four spinners in their squad to “maximise our advantage” in the highly anticipated series opener.
Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri said the pitches should “turn from day one” to ram home the local advantage against Australia, the No.1 Test team in the world.
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“It’s your strength, you are playing at home, capitalise on it,” he told cricinfo.com.
The make-up of the Australian team remains unclear days out from the first ball with the fitness of Cameron Green to be decided as he recovers from a broken finger and the bowling attack a mystery.
Australia also took four spinners – Lyon, Agar, Mitchell Swepson and uncapped Todd Murphy – to India but history suggests pairing two off-spinners together, in Lyon and Murphy, wouldn’t happen.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell claimed it would be “stupid” for selectors to play left-arm spinner Ashton Agar with Nathan Lyon just because he was a left-armer if better spin alternatives are available.
He also said it as incumbent on curators to produce the best pitch possible, and not pander to the wants and needs of the local team.
“No-one other than the curator … should have any say in what wickets are produced,” he said.
But according to a local report in the Indian Express, a source close to the team suggested the curators would prepare “turners” to aid the local bowlers.
“We want to maximise our advantage and prepare turners. Spinners are our biggest strength and we should give them the best conditions to bowl and get wickets,” the source in the team said.
India also picked four spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja – in their squad.
Australia opted against playing a warm-up game, having been served up what Steve Smith called “irrelevant wickets” which didn’t spin last time they toured India in 2017.
Instead the tourists practiced on specially scuffed up pitches in Sydney then did their main preparation in Bengaluru after arriving in India before heading to Nagpur.
Despite the high expectation of a spin-heavy attack from the Indians, Australian keeper Alex Carey said it was crucial to keep an open mind, and just play whatever comes.
“I think the open-mindedness of what we‘re going to come up against, what team they’re going to put on the park and what scenario I’m going to come in at.
“Try to plan and prepare the best we can and then once we‘re in the middle it’s enjoy the contest, be patient with all the things that come into your head, and then hope for the best.”
