Having already secured a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Australia take on India in a four-match Test series, with the first match starting on February 9. Last week, Australia legend Ian Healy had claimed that if India make ‘fair’ pitches, the visitors will win the series. However, Healy was heavily criticised by several current and former players for his comments on the pitch. On the eve of the first Test, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has taken a massive dig at the Australian team.
Taking to Twitter, Pathan shared a picture of the pitch, with a caption: “Let’s Have A Cracking Series”.
Let’s have a cracking series #BGT2023 pic.twitter.com/P18q1mNFPB
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 8, 2023
Notably, the photo was taken in 2013 during a Test between Australia and England at the WACA in Perth. The match is famous for Ben Stokes‘ 120 in the fourth innings of the match.
On this day in 2013, Ben Stokes scored his first test hundred in Perth. Peak Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris were breathing fire in that Ashes, and Stokes scored 120(195) in the 4th innings on the WACA pitch that was full of cracks. pic.twitter.com/oArLszA3Hj
— Praveen (@itsPra98) December 17, 2022
India skipper Rohit Sharma and Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, however, brushed aside concerns about the pitch.
Australian commentators have said that a bone-dry pitch has been prepared in Nagpur to make life difficult for the visitors’ many left-handed batters in the match starting Thursday.
However, Cummins told reporters that Australia’s batters would take the pitch in their stride.
“Potentially, it looks a little bit dry for the left-handers and knowing how much traffic will probably go through there from the right-arm bowlers,” said Cummins.
“It might be a fair bit of rough out there. Again that’s something we just got to embrace. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging at times, but we have batters who relish the chance to problem solve on their feet.”
(With AFP Inputs)
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