MCG curator defends poor practice tracks

MCG head curator Matt Page addresses the media yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

The run-up to the Boxing Day Test has been clouded by controversy, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) head curator Matt Page responding to concerns raised by the Indian team over substandard practice facilities. As reported by mid-day earlier, India were dissatisfied with the slow, low practice pitches provided. The situation intensified on Monday when the Australian team was given practice wickets featuring significant grass cover, resembling the surface expected for the match.

Matt Page defended the MCG's protocols, explaining that Test-quality practice wickets are prepared starting three days before the match. With the Test beginning on Thursday, India's main training session on Sunday did not align with this timeline, according to him.

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Team India's practice wicket on Sunday which was slow with minimal bounce

"For us, three days out, we prepare Test match pitches for here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had," Page said. He emphasised that this policy applies equally to all teams. "We received the Indian team's schedule well in advance. But we usually give match-centric wickets three days before the match. It's applicable for all teams," he added.

Despite the clarification, the Indian team remain frustrated. Sources suggest that grass-covered practice pitches were available, but not allotted for India's sessions, fuelling speculation that Australia might have preferential access to better facilities.

Pace-friendly wicket

The Australians were allotted this pitch with hint of grass on Monday. Pics/Sandipan Banerjee

Page also commented on the MCG pitch for the Boxing Day Test, saying it would be lively, but not as bouncy as surfaces used earlier this season for Sheffield Shield and ‘A' games. He anticipated the pitch would favour fast bowlers, including India's Jasprit Bumrah, while offering little for spinners, consistent with the series so far, where only seven of the 93 wickets have fallen to spin in the three Tests so far.

The heat is on

Page added that the forecasted 40°C heat on Boxing Day might affect conditions slightly. "We'll just monitor - as we know with Melbourne, the weather can change quickly," he said. More moisture might be retained in the pitch to compensate for the heat, potentially quickening its pace as the day progresses. As the series stands tied 1-1, all eyes are on whether the Indian team can overcome these challenges and deliver a strong performance like they did three years back at this iconic venue.