The much-anticipated four-match Test series between India and Australia is set to get underway with the first match in Nagpur from February 9. The Pat Cummins-led side is preparing for the Test assignment in a unique manner, after having rejected the proposal to play a practice match. To counter the Ravichandran Ashwin threat in the Test series, the Australian batters have been practicing against the off-spinner’s “duplicate” Maheesh Pithiya, who was flown to Bengaluru by the visitors, to bowl as a net bowler.
In a video shared by cricket.com.au, Pithiya was seen bowling to the Aussie batters.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer, however, took a dig at Australia, saying that the series hasn’t even started and Ashwin is already giving the visitors sleepless nights.
“First Test is five days away and @ashwinravi99 is already inside Aus head,” Jaffer reposted the video.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh had an interesting take on the same.
He shared a picture of a pitch, with a caption: “This the main thing they have in their head”.
This the main thing they have in their head https://t.co/5hepKjSAiU pic.twitter.com/eGWddhE5FU
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 4, 2023
Since arriving in India, Australia have also been practicing on worn pitches — surfaces that are expected to be offered to them during the four-match Test series.
Pictures of the training pitch had gone viral on social media with netizens being amazed at the length Australia has gone to prepare for the assignment.
Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy had claimed that if India make fair pitches, Australia will win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Notably, India have won each of the last three Test series against Australia, with two of them coming Down Under.
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