AUS vs IND: Fast-paced wicket on offer at Optus Stadium in Perth

Hyderabad: The Indian cricket team will have to brace themselves for a tough test when they take on Australia in the first of the five Test matches for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the Optus Stadium in Perth could be a fast bowlers’ paradise.

Pitches in Perth, more at the Western Australia Cricket Ground, have always favoured the bowlers with good bounce and pace but the 22-yards at the Optus Stadium had been a mixed bag in the past. However, according to recent reports, the head curator of Western Australia Isaac McDonald, who oversees the pitch preparation at the Optus Stadium too, has favoured for a fiery pace and bounce wicket.

The first Test match of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on November 22 and India will go into the Test match without a practice match under their belt. The Indians cancelled an intra-squad practice match and chose to have training sessions on the centre-wicket at the old WACA ground, which according to reports, could be similar to the one that the Test match will be played on.

The Australian cricket team, under Pat Cummins’ captaincy, will also hold training sessions at the old WACA ground.

According to reports, McDonald is in favour of fast tracks and the pitch at the Optus Stadium could be similar to the one where Australia and Pakistan played in December last year. The fast bowlers made merry as Pakistan could only manage 89 runs in their second innings as Australia won the Test in style. Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc took 12 of the 20 Pakistan wickets at Perth.

Pakistani fast bowlers also made merry in the ODI series that Australia and Pakistan played this month. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf sizzled as Australia were out for just 140 in the third ODI. Pakistan won the series with an eight-wicket win.