Rainfall on the unseasonal side has affected the preparations for the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy that is supposed to be played at Perth. Although the rain has delayed normal preparatory work on the pitch, chief curator McDonald is assuring that the wicket will retain the trademark bounce and carry, though the customary “snake cracks” would not materialize as they do in dry conditions.
Pitch Condition Amid Weather Challenges
Both Optus Stadium and the adjacent WACA ground are notorious for fast, bouncy decks, especially when dry, where cracks provide extra assistance to seam bowlers and a haven for spinners. But the heavy rain that fell on Tuesday meant the pitch was covered all day, which cut into limited preparation time for the ground staff. Despite this, McDonald averred that the moisture retained in the pitch would not significantly deteriorate over the five days of the Test match, ensuring the game remains competitive between bat and ball.
Weather Not Disrupting Pitch Preparations
“Yeah, it’s definitely not traditional Perth Test prep. Yesterday we pretty much lost the whole day of prep with it being under cover. So we kind of saw the forecast early on and we started prep a little bit earlier than we normally would. “So we’re sitting quite comfortable still. It’d be nice if the sun would pop out and do its job but as of this morning we’re in a good spot, we’re really comfortable as a curating team,” McDonald told the media ahead of the series opener beginning on Friday.
Grass Will Offer Variable Bounce
“I don’t think the weather is going to make this pitch fall apart. There’ll be some deterioration, grass will stand up during the game and offer that variable bounce but in terms of big snake WACA cracks, unfortunately I don’t think the weather is going to get us there,” said the head curator.
Grass Cover To Support Balanced Play
A lot more grass compared to the recent limited-overs matches played at this venue will be seen in the Test pitch. Where the ODI against Pakistan had only 4mm of grass, the Test pitch will have about 8-10mm, much like what has been traditional in earlier years. This shall ensure the game is evenly contested as bat and ball are kept on the same grounds.
“I mean everyone talks about the traditional baking of the top. We can kind of manufacture that with more rolling and less water on top if we have to. We’re testing the wicket hour by hour so it’s quite conditions based at the moment.
Rolling The Pitch More To Get Firmness
“So at the moment we’re leaning towards rolling it a bit more on top to get that firmness and that happy medium between bat and ball. But yeah, fingers crossed the sun pops out,” he said. “We’ve still got to try and get to a point where we think we’re going to be fine by Friday. We’re still in around the ballpark, 8 to 10 mm, was where we were last year as well.
Perth Pitch Still Has Good Pace & Bounce
“So we’re sitting quite comfortable and having quite open conversations within the curating team of what we feel is appropriate and where to go from there. There’s still be really good pace and bounce in the pitch. “It’ll just come in how well they look after the ball and how true the surface stays. We’re meant to get to 30-32 degrees over the weekend so we’ll see what the grass on top does there but in terms of coming off cracks I just don’t think we’re going to get there,” felt McDonald.
