The Indian cricket team is gearing up for a tough challenge as they take on Australia in first Test of five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Perth's iconic Optus Stadium. Western Australia Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald has warned India, saying the pitch has been prepared to offer "good bounce and pace," staying true to Perth's reputation for fiery tracks.
India vs Australia 1st Test is set to begin on November 22 in Perth. While the visiting team was initially scheduled to play an intra-squad match behind closed doors from November 15 to 17, that practice game has now been called off. Instead, India will fine-tune their preparations at the nearby WACA stadium.
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"This is Australia, this is Perth... I'm setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry," Western Australia Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told 'ESPNcricinfo'.
McDonald said he is looking to leave some grass on the pitch to make it a bit spicier.
"It's (10 mm) a good starting point. 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 (Australia and Pakistan) were pretty rapid last year and hoping for much the same this year (for India match)," he added.
In 2024-25 IND vs AUS Test series, India is looking to secure its third consecutive series win in Australia. After historic wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21 series, India has not lost a single Test series against Australia since 2014.
IND vs AUS Test series is crucial for India's World Test Championship (WTC) ambitions. India needs to win four of the five Tests and draw one to make it to the WTC finals without depending on other results.