BGT 2024-25: 'This is Australia...,' Perth curator warns India of lively pitch for 1st Test
Perth to host 1st BGT Test.
With Border-Gavaskar Trophy just around the corner, a spicy and lively pitch awaits India at Perth, the venue of the first Test, which starts November 22. Usually, the Gabba in Brisbane hosts the opening game of the Australian summer, but Cricket Australia has decided to go with Perththis time.
The Optus Stadium of Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) in Perth, which once was famous for its pace and bounce, now uses a drop-in pitch. The curator, however, has promised a pacer-friendly pitch this time for India.
"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 said in a conversation with cricket news website ESPNcricinfo. "In a perfect world, I want to emulate last year (vs Pakistan)."
"It's [10 mm] a good starting point," McDonald said about the grass on the pitch. "Ten millimetres was pretty comfortable with the conditions that we had [last year] and that held the conditions together nicely for the first few days. Live grass on the pitch is speed."
"Both bowling units were pretty rapid last year and hoping for much the same this year. But, as we saw last year, good batters were able to take the game on and put away balls and score runs quickly," McDonald further added.
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India are already under pressure heading into the series after their 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home. During the NZ series, India were dismissed for 46 in the first Test under cloudy Bengaluru skies.
On the last tour of Australia, India were bowled out for 36 in the Adelaide Test as well and the memories would still be vivid for them.
India play the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.