Pressure is on MCG curator Matt Page to supply a pitch that’s “a little bit better” than final yr for the Boxing Day Test in keeping with star batter Steve Smith after a three-day Ashes conflict in Melbourne dominated by bowlers.
As Cricket Australia accepted the wicket for the opening Test towards South Africa in Brisbane final week, which completed inside two day, was “clearly” too weighted in favour of the bowlers, Smith stated he hoped this yr’s MCG wicket was higher balanced.
England was rolled for simply 68 in its second innings final summer time, as hometown hero Scott Boland ripped via the highest order and Australia romped to victory by an innings and 14 runs.
Smith stated earlier than final week’s Brisbane debacle that the MCG pitch was probably the most tough he’d batted on in Australia. While acutely aware of the difficulties related to drop-in pitches, he was hopeful Page would keep away from the day one softness batters skilled on the Gabba.
“It obviously did a bit, ended in three days, just a little bit longer than our last match. So, as a batter, I’d like it to do a little bit less,” Smith, who made simply 16 on the MCG towards England final summer time, stated on arrival in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“I think it‘s a fine balance I guess just trying to get that even contest between bat and ball and I think you look back to the last Test … probably wasn’t an even contest, was probably the most difficult weekend I’ve played on here in Australia. Melbourne was probably a close second last year, so hopefully it’s a little bit better than it was last year.
“I think it’s just difficult with those drop-ins potentially to get that balance.
“I think a few years ago you go the other way, it was too batter a friendly. Now I think it’s too bowler friendly, but there’s somewhere in between hopefully that they can settle on.”
Page might be given “guidance” from Cricket Australia on producing a balanced wicket however not directions in keeping with head of cricket operations Peter Roach, who accepted the under common score for the Gabba pitch by the ICC was “fair”.
Roach was adamant the floor in Brisbane was not harmful, as advised by South African captain Dean Elgar.
But he revealed CA’s choice was for Tests to be within the steadiness, and doubtlessly completed, late on the fourth day and wickets must be produced to push matches that approach.
“Late on the fourth days, with an even balance between bat and ball,” Roach stated.
“We give guidance (to curators) and discuss how we think Test cricket needs to look, but one of the beauties of Test cricket in Australia, why it thrives, is because we’ve got these such unique characteristics from one side of the country to the other and we want to see them come out.”
Roach stated he can be talking to Page however solely as a matter of process, assured the MCG curator, in his fifth yr in Melbourne, would produce the very best pitch potential and never err too far in favour of batters within the wake of what occurred in Brisbane.
“We don’t expect what happened at the Gabba to influence what’s going to happen at the MCG,” he stated.
“We expect all curators to again find that balance between bat and ball, given the unique characteristics of the venue that they’re at.
“The MCG is a different venue to the Gabba they’ve got now. The current curator has now been here five years and has tinkered a little bit every year to try and make that as perfect as he can and we hope that comes out on Boxing Day.”
