Pace, bounce and carry: WA Curator reveals pitch ahead of Perth Test

Australia are set to welcome India with a really ‘spicy’ pitch at the new Optus Stadium for the first Test, which begins on November 22. The pitch conditions are made to emulate the pace and bounce that were on offer at the old Western Australia Cricket Academy (WACA) stadium in the same city. 

According to ESPNCricinfo, the pitch which was only curated in September, contains the same local clay and grass species as of WACA, which means a spicy contest is expected. 

"This is Australia, this is Perth... I'm setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry," WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo. "In a perfect world, I want to emulate last year."

It will be the second match at the Optus Stadium in recent times after the highly charged affair between Australia and Pakistan, in which the Australian pacers bowled out Pakistan for 89 in the second dig. 

"Every wicket you make is conditions-based. You've got to back yourself with the conditions and make educated guesses around your moisture content and how much rolling to do," McDonald said.

"It's a juggling act but hopefully the match gets into day five or the last session of day four like last year. If we can get some nice cracks forming later in the game...the game takes care of itself."

India’s preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy too has been highly protected, with no spectators allowed closer to the ground. According to a report in The West Australian, the WACA ground is currently under lockdown. 

Instead of an intra-squad match between India and India A, the visitors opted for a centre-wicket practice at the iconic WACA to help them both avoid further injuries and have real-life simulations in similar conditions. 

The first of the five-match Test series begins in Perth on November 22, with a chance for Australia to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in nearly a decade.

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