NEW DELHI: The five-match series is currently tied at 1-1, with both India and Australia aiming to gain a crucial advantage as they head into the fourth Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting December 26.
India opened the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a dominant 295-run win in Perth but stumbled in Adelaide, suffering a 10-wicket defeat in the day-night Test. The third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane ended in a draw, setting the stage for a pivotal showdown in Melbourne.
With Perth offering pace and bounce, Adelaide known for its pink-ball swing under lights, and the Gabba delivering quick and bouncy tracks, all eyes will be on how the MCG pitch behaves when the two teams take the field on Thursday.
Melbourne Cricket Ground curator Matt Page addressed the media ahead of the match, shedding light on the pitch preparation.
“I guess we’ve been really happy with what we’ve served up over the last couple of years. We don’t see any reason to change that. I guess we’ve seen three fantastic Test matches so far on three great pitches. So for us, it’s about trying to do something similar to what we’ve done in recent years and creating a thrilling contest,” Page told reporters at the MCG.
“Seven years ago, we were quite flat. We sat down as an organization and decided we wanted to create more exciting contests and Test matches. So we leave more grass on the pitches now. That brings the bowlers into play more, but they’re still good for batting once the new ball softens. We’ve been running at six millimeters the last couple of years. We’ll monitor that as we go, but we’ve been really happy with the results recently. So for us, it’s a rinse-and-repeat job.”
When asked about the role of spinners, Page said: “Spinners? Oh, it doesn’t really break up and spin here. If you look at our long-format games over the last four or five years, they’ve been more seam-friendly than spin-friendly. So I don’t see that changing here.”
“We haven’t altered our pitches because of the balls. Basically, as I said, we sat down seven years ago after 2017 and discussed where we wanted to go as an organization and what we wanted to be renowned for—producing Test matches that provide a thrilling contest.
“We aim to give bowlers opportunities at various points in the game while also giving batters a chance if they play well. So we experimented with our grass levels, compaction, and moisture, which took about three years to fine-tune. Over the last two or three years, we’ve been consistent in what we’ve rolled out, leaving a bit more grass on the pitches than we used to. It’s provided thrilling contests, and that’s what we want to do.
“As for the weather, we know Melbourne can change quickly. Will it being 40 degrees on Boxing Day be a concern? Not really. It might just mean the pitch quickens up a bit faster than it would at 20 degrees. Whether we leave a bit more moisture in it, we’ll monitor and adjust preparation accordingly.”
Page also highlighted the distinctiveness of pitches across Australia.
“Every pitch in Australia is so different these days. Perth has pace, bounce, and cracks when it’s hot. Adelaide, with the pink ball, swings at night. The Gabba is quick, bouncy, and seams around.
“We’re not like that. We don’t have Perth or Brisbane’s extreme pace, nor Adelaide’s pink ball. We aim for as much pace and bounce as we can, along with sideways movement, while giving batters a chance at some point. But will we play like Perth or Brisbane? No. That’s the beauty of Australian cricket—every venue is unique. After Melbourne, you go to Sydney, where spin plays a role. Each pitch has its own character, and that’s what makes it special.”
India have an impressive record in recent Border-Gavaskar series, securing back-to-back wins in Australia—first under Virat Kohli in 2018-19 and then with Ajinkya Rahane at the helm in 2020-21.
With Rohit Sharma now leading the side, Team India is aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive triumph Down Under.
