Ruthless India ploy behind Australia's strange call

1 year ago 54

Steve Smith says Australia made the close determination to not docket a circuit crippled successful India, fixed the "irrelevant" pitches the squad was met with connected the past tour.

The Aussie men's squad past travelled to the state successful aboriginal 2017, and near with a 2-1 bid loss, extending a drought successful India that stretches backmost to 2004.

They flew retired of Sydney connected Tuesday up of a four-Test series, which begins successful Nagpur connected February 9.

While it's emblematic for a cricket squad to get successful a overseas state good successful beforehand successful bid to person astatine slightest 1 signifier match, Cricket Australia opted against it this time.

Instead the squad gathered successful North Sydney astatine the play for a condensed grooming camp, wherever curators were asked to hole a transportation that mightiness mimic a dry, cracked platform successful India.

"We usually person 2 circuit games implicit successful England. This clip we don't person a circuit crippled successful India," Smith told reporters connected Tuesday.

"The past clip we went I'm beauteous definite we got served up a green-top (to signifier on) and it was benignant of irrelevant.

"Hopefully we get truly bully grooming facilities wherever the shot is apt to bash what it's apt to bash retired successful the middle, and we tin get our signifier in.

"We'll hold and spot erstwhile we deed the ground. I deliberation we've made the close determination to not play a circuit match.

"Like I said, past clip they dished up a green-top for america and we hardly faced immoderate spin, truthful it's benignant of irrelevant.

"We're amended disconnected having our ain nets and getting spinners successful and bowling arsenic overmuch arsenic they can."

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India's adust and turning wickets are successful stark opposition to the accustomed green, seam-friendly pitches utilized for Australian Test matches.

It's that information that is mostly credited for the abysmal grounds of Australia's Test squad successful India. The men person not won a bid determination successful 19 years.

It has been dubbed "the last frontier" but Smith isn't truthful keen connected playing up to that label.

"It's surely huge. I don't cognize if it's the last frontier," helium said.

"India and England - our 2 opponents implicit the adjacent six months - are astir apt our biggest arsenic an Australian Test cricketer.

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"We've got immoderate challenges successful beforehand of us, but the guys are acceptable for it. I've ne'er won (in India), I've been determination twice. In information it's been precise hard playing there."

Australia is excepted to prime astatine slightest 1 further rotation bowler to enactment successful conjunction with Nathan Lyon.

Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson, and the uncapped Todd Murphy person been picked successful the touring squad.

"I'd accidental (we volition pick) 2 (spinners) minimum, possibly three," Smith said.

"I conjecture it depends connected the aboveground that is dished up."

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