India’s highly anticipated tour of Australia kicks off with the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Optus Stadium in Perth, where the tourists are expected to face a challenging surface offering pace and bounce, just like the iconic WACA grounds. Optus Stadium’s head curator, Isaac McDonald, revealed that his team has prepared the pitch to embody these traditional Perth traits, hoping it will provide the stern test of fast-bowling conditions for which the region is famous.
Team India, coming off a series of spin-friendly pitches at home, arrives in Australia without the advantage of a practice match. The visitors had initially scheduled an intra-squad game behind closed doors but ultimately chose to cancel, focusing instead on center-wicket practice at the WACA. The decision means they’ll enter the Test on November 22 with limited exposure to the conditions in Perth, a challenge compounded by McDonald’s plans to replicate the intense bounce and movement that has challenged teams in recent years.
The pitch for this opening Test was transferred onto the Optus Stadium playing surface last month after extensive curation, beginning as early as September. It shares the same local clay and grass species as the renowned WACA pitch, and it will be only the fifth Test held at the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium. The upcoming clash against India is expected to generate more local excitement for Test cricket, particularly with a fast, bouncy surface that has led to thrilling contests in the past.
“We’re setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce, and really good carry,” McDonald told ESPNcricinfo, noting that the pitch will be left with around 10 millimeters of live grass. This extra grass is intended to enhance speed, making life tough for batsmen and providing Australia’s pace attack-led by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc with the ideal surface.
McDonald recalls last year’s Test against Pakistan at Optus Stadium, where Pakistan crumbled for 89 runs in their second innings, succumbing to Australia’s pace bowlers. The pitch deteriorated significantly during the match, opening cracks that produced unpredictable bounce and low skidding deliveries. Australian batsmen Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja took several blows, with Labuschagne describing it as one of the most challenging surfaces he’d faced.
The pitch is set to mirror these conditions, and both teams’ fast-bowling units will be looking to exploit the bounce. “Both bowling units were pretty rapid last year, and I’m hoping for much the same this year,” McDonald said. While he believes skilled batsmen can capitalize on the conditions, he’s confident that the pace and live grass will keep both sides on edge.
India will look to counter this fiery Perth wicket with their own fast-bowling arsenal, but without a practice match under their belt, adapting quickly to these foreign conditions will be crucial if they hope to start the series strongly.