Practice pitches used in India, first time in Australia? Curator breaks silence as another row explodes

Since the conclusion of the third Test between India and Australia in Melbourne, multiple controversies have kept fans busy. As the Indian and Australian teams found the nets ahead of the start of the fourth Test in Melbourne, fans were furious over the glaring differences in practice. Once pictures of the India-Australia nets session were posted on social media, fans didn’t have to struggle to point out the drastic change in conditions on the two surfaces. While the Australian batsmen practiced with new batsmen, the Indians were given a hard time with second-hand batsmen.

Over the weekend, the entire Indian team including the top batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahulas well as pacer-like jasprit bumrah, Akashdeep and Mohamed Shirazihit the net and begin preparations for the MCG game.

Reports from the Indian Nets sessions indicated that the bounce of the pitch was quite low, with even short deliveries rising only to the batsman’s waist height. Due to the nature of the pitch, Indian captain Rohit Sharma also hit his knee once.

There are significant differences between the pitches on which both teams practiced in preparation for the Boxing Day Test.#bgt pic.twitter.com/MYyMKZpEGi

— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) December 23, 2024

“I think this wicket was meant for white balls. That’s why the ball stayed low at times. But these kind of hits are common in training. That’s why,” Indian pacer Akash Deep said after the Nets session on Sunday. There are no major concerns.”

Meanwhile, the pitch prepared for Australian players’ practice painted a very different picture. The surfaces looked fresh and provided a better preparation opportunity for the hosts.

The MCG Pitch curator had this to say about the controversy:

When asked why there was a difference between the two surfaces, MCG curator Matt Page said new practice surfaces would only be provided within three days, as per the rules.

“We have known the Indian team’s schedule for quite some time. But normally we only give match-centric wickets three days before the match. That applies to all teams,” Page said. I made it clear.

The Australian team hit the net for the first time on the new wicket on Monday, but the Indian players decided to skip the training session. The next time the Indian team hits the nets, they will be given a new surface in the same way. Pat Cummins And the men continued practicing.