Pitch Confusions Rises for 4th India-Australia Test

India’s curators are keeping everyone guessing ahead of the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Ahmedabad, with two potential pitches being prepared for the highly anticipated finale. 

The Australian team remains unsure which pitch they will be playing on, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the upcoming match.

India coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma both inspected the center wicket when the hosts trained at the Ahmedabad ground on Tuesday.

I don’t know for sure, but you get a feeling this is the deck… pic.twitter.com/GsfSvHBMMZ

— Clint Wheeldon (@ClintWheeldon) March 7, 2023

What’s Going on with Field?

Pitch discussion has been a constant throughout the series, with India rolling out spin-friendly surfaces to suit their chances of defeating Australia. 

However, those tactics backfired in the third Test in Indore, as Australia pulled off a stunning nine-wicket win in a match that ended early on day three. The pitch was subsequently given a “poor” rating by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, has backed the team’s decision to demand curators prepare heavily spinning pitches, stating that their strength is spin and batting depth. The Indian team’s focus is on playing to their strengths at home and not worrying about what people outside the team are talking about.

Officials in Indian team uniforms have been spotted near the center wicket for extended periods ahead of all three Tests in Nagpur, Delhi, and Indore.

Former India Test player, Aakash Chopra, told reporters during the third Test that a distinction could be drawn between seam-friendly pitches seen in Australia or England and the “rank turners” being served up in India. 

“When you see a green top, which has a lot of moisture in it, eventually it actually becomes a decent surface to bat on, and maybe, at some stage, the spinners also come into the picture,” Chopra said. “But, when you start a game where the puff of dust [on the pitch] is there from ball one … it just keeps deteriorating.”

Statements on the Pitch

The pitch debate has caused controversy, with the president of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), Abhilash Khandeka, claiming that Indore was treated unfairly for the state of the pitch. 

Indore was a last-minute choice to host the third Test after the Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] on February 12 deemed the ground in Dharamsala unsuitable for the match.

“Two curators from BCCI had come eight to 10 days before the match. The pitch was prepared under their supervision. The MPCA had no role in making the pitch,” Khandeka told reporters this week. 

“I want to make it clear that just like any other state board association in international matches, MPCA has no role in making the pitch. BCCI curators come, and they get the direction from BCCI along with the Indian team management.”

The fourth Test is expected to be a crucial one for both teams, and the decision on the pitch will play a major role in the outcome of the match. The world will be watching as the two cricketing giants battle it out for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

Fans around the world are eagerly waiting to see which pitch will be used and how it will impact the game.