IND Vs AUS, 4th Test: Row Over 'Used' Practice Pitches After Rohit Sharma Survives Injury Scare, MCG Curator Reacts - WATCH

Rohit Sharma-led India are all set to lock horns with Pat Cummins's Australia in the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26.

The five-match series is 3 Tests down, with India and Australia level at 1-1. After a convincing win in the series opener in Perth, India were hammered in Adelaide by Australia. Thereafter, India eked out a tough draw in Brisbane. 

The fourth Test in Melbourne is crucial for both teams in terms of  World Test Championship final qualification. However, a controversy has erupted before the start of the Boxing Day Test.

Ahead of the start of the fourth Test, the Indian team has expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the practice pitches provided at the outdoor nets of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Indian team blamed the variable bounce of used practice pitches for the hit that Rohit Sharma took on his knee. 

Rohit developed swelling on his left knee while facing throwdown from support staff member Dayanand Garani and didn't take further part in the nets on Sunday. It was learnt the Indian skipper needed icing at night and the team think-tank held the used pitch's uneven bounce responsible for the injury scare.

However, MCG curator Matt Page has defended the practice pitches by saying that "standard protocol" has been followed. 

Notably, the Indian team had sent its training schedule two months ago but the MCG curator stuck to the standard operating procedure of giving a new practice track only three days prior to the Test match.

"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. 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 was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Asked if he has had the Indian schedule and BCCI had correspondence with Cricket Australia, he responded in affirmative.

"Yes, they gave us schedule. There has been correspondence between CA and Indian board and the extent of those conversations, I don't know," Page said. 

#TeamIndia had their net sessions on used practice pitches for two days, while the Aussies trained on fresh ones today! 

Here’s the MCG head curator, Matt Page, explaining why! #AUSvINDOnStar  4th Test | THU, 26th DEC, 4:30 AM | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/Cp1M78qccM — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 23, 2024

The iconic MCG won't have the bounce of Perth or the seam movement of Gabba but it will still be pace-friendly with 6mm of grass covering. 

"Seven years ago, we were quite flat, we want to create exciting an contest and exciting Test matches, so we will leave more grass, that brings the bowlers into 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 explained.

Interestingly, the decision to make it bowler-friendly was taken in 2017 after the MCG track was deemed as a flat deck.

"In 2017, we sat down as an organisation and discussed where we wanted to go and we agreed that it was about producing wickets for thrilling Test matches. It gives bowlers a chance to come into the game but also batters if they play well," Page said.

"All quick bowlers get excited when they come here now although it is not as quick as Perth and Brisbane but we have managed to get some pace on it. Every wicket in Australia is different and we have also got our unique character," he added. 

While Ravindra Jadeja is more of a batting all-rounder in overseas conditions, the MCG pitch curator said there is not much help for spinners now.

"Doesn't really break for spinners here and if you see long-format games over the last four to five years, you will see, it has been more seam-friendly than spin," Page concluded.