Ahead of the fourth Test against India at Melbourne, Australian captain Pat Cummins stated that the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch looks “nice and firm” with “a bit of grass coverage,” which could assist spinner Nathan Lyon.
With the series tied at 1-1, both teams will compete in the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test, aiming to secure an important series lead to strengthen their case for the ICC World Test Championship final. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Cummins shared his thoughts on the pitch:
“The pitch looks really good, quite consistent with what it has been for the last few years. It has a bit of grass coverage, feels nice and firm, so the curators have done a great job here over the last five or six years, and I expect the same this year.”
The skipper also acknowledged that bowling in high temperatures, with the mercury reaching up to 39°C, could be challenging. Regarding the wicket, Cummins described it as “well-balanced.”
He added, “Nathan Lyon has had some success here and certainly plays a key role, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a bit of assistance for spin.”
He further added:
“Look, hard to say. You know, it was a good test match here a few years ago. I think Rehano got 100 from memory. So, yeah, it always seems like a boxing day every year is a cracking test match. You know, last year was a great test match against Pakistan as well. So, expecting another great week. In terms of pressure, no, not for me to answer.”
https://x.com/starsportsindia/status/1871843327773204872?s=46
Australia’s Playing XI
Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India’s squad for fourth and fifth Tests:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian.
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