Spin is expected to play a role in the second Test between India and Australia, but the Adelaide Oval’s head curator Damian Hough has also promised a 6mm grass cover to ensure that the pink ball doesn’t wear out early during the day-night match, starting on Friday.
Hough said the grass will assist the pacers early on with the spinners coming into play as the match progresses.
“History suggests that it is hard to bat under lights in Adelaide. The pitch will have 6mm of grass. We are trying to allow all facets of the game to shine at some stage during the game,” Hough told media ahead of the second Test.
“What we are trying to do is have a coarse mat grass — thatchy type of grass that’s dry and hard. And the reason we do that is we’re trying to get as much pace and bounce out of the pitch as what we can get for us, for Adelaide, which is a lower clay content,” he added.
The opening Perth Test, which India won by a record 295 runs, lasted four days with batting becoming easier as the game moved ahead. Hough has similar plans for the pink-ball game.
“Spin normally plays a role so it can get a good bite or purchase out of that grass and it normally gets good bounce. So that’s a game plan. Hopefully, as the ball gets older, the batters can cash in and if there’s a partnership out there, they cash in and go from there.”
While spinners didn’t have much to do in the Perth Test, Hough said the tweakers will have more assistance at the Adelaide Oval.
“Spin always plays a role in Adelaide. You need to pick a front-line spinner. There should never be a question of ‘do we, don’t we?’ It should always be ‘do’,” Hough said highlighting the role of spinners in Adelaide.
“From my side, always pick a spinner. The idea of leaving that extra bit of grass and that matty grass is for the spinner to be able to get purchase out of that mat and get it to bite, grip, and bounce,” he added.
“We want spin to play a role at Adelaide. We might not be able to get as much as other places around the world, but spin traditionally plays a role.”
He reiterated that the aim is to have a good, balanced contest.
“Normally the quicks should be able to get some assistance throughout the game. And we know the quicks can. Spin can come into it in that night session. Under lights, if they can get hold of a new ball in that night session, normally is quite entertaining.
“We are trying to get that balance right…We’re trying really hard to ensure that the balance between bat and ball is there and we can allow the batters to shine strategically throughout the course of the game.”
Potential thunderstorms are forecast for the opening day of the match, which is unusual for Adelaide at this time of the year.
“I am not sure exactly on the timing of those storms coming through, but we’re expecting to pull covers a bit on Friday. Hopefully it clears out on Saturday morning … then it should be good for the remainder of the Test.”
Hough said weather has a huge role to play in the movement of the pink ball
“The ball hooping around has got nothing to do with the pitch. Under right conditions, right weather, the ball will move.”
It will be India’s first pink-ball Test in Australia since they were infamously bundled out for 36 at the same venue back in 2020 but Hough maintained there were no demons in the pitch even back then.
“On the morning of day three, no one would have expected that Test match to finish in three days. That was just really good bowling from Australia…I don’t think the pitch played a part in that,” he said.
