The Indian team is not happy with the used pitches in place for practice in Melbourne ahead of the Boxing Day Test match, PTI reported. The team has blamed the used surfaces have produced invariable bounce, which led to captain Rohit Sharma copping a blow to his knee.
India and Australia are set to lock horns in the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and both the teams are in preparation mode ahead of the fourth Test. The visitors had a training at the venue on Sunday when Rohit was hit on his left knee after failing to pull a ball. He had reportedly developed swelling on his left knee and had an ice pack on it. The skipper didn't take further part in the nets, but Akash Deep, who was also hit in the nets, said that there are no major concerns about the blows to him and the captain.
While the Indians are unhappy with the practice pitches, MCG curator Matt Page has said that all the protocols have been followed. The Indian team had sent the training schedule two months before, but the curator opted to follow the standard operating procedure of providing a new practice track only three days before the Test match, which is December 26.
"So for us, three days out, we prepare pitches for here. If teams come and play before that, they get what pitches we've had," Page told media when asked why Team India didn't get a pitch that would resemble the centre pitch.
"So today, we're on fresh pitches. If we needed to play this morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches. Stock standard procedure for us, three days out. We do our pitches that we're going to have for our Test match," Page said while defending the decision.
However, he said that the schedule was shared ahead of the series. "Yes, they gave us a schedule. There has been correspondence between CA and Indian board and the extent of those conversations, I don't know," Page said.
The curator revealed that the pacers will get help from the pitch and it won't be easy for the batters unless they see off the new ball threat. "Seven years ago, we were quite flat, we want to create exciting a contest and exciting Test matches, so we will leave more grass, which brings the bowlers into the equation.
"But it is still good for batting once the new ball goes off. We keep 6mm grass and we would monitor that as we get in," Page elaborated.
