Indian cricket legend Ravi Shastri has slammed claims that the nation is doctoring the Nagpur pitch for the first Test against Australia, insisting that the host nation has done nothing wrong.

Just days before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener, a journalist captured photos of ground staff altering the way they water and roll the pitch to produce a very dry and rough area outside the off-stump for left-handed batters.

The photos show the crew have been watering and rolling the centre of the wicket and the area outside the off-stump for right-handers, but leaving the other areas of the track to bake in the sun.  

Australia's batting line-up is heavy on left handers with David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar and Matt Renshaw all sure to be affected by the pitch preparation.

Shastri, a former India captain, coach and all-rounder, dismissed the claims of 'cheating' while appearing on SEN's Sportsday.

'That is bulls**t!' he exclaimed.

'It's more hype than anything else surrounding this first Test match.

'It always happens, you get 15mm grass, 18mm grass or 12mm grass in different places around the ground … at the end of this first Test, I'm sure there'll be someone who scores a hundred.

'If someone can get a hundred or 80-plus on that pitch, they've played well and he will go and say, 'What's wrong with the pitch? You stay there, you apply yourself, your shot selection is good, you get runs'.

'But if you go out there and think you're going to smash every ball, good luck to you.'

Shastri then stated that India as the hosts can do what they want with the pitch.

'If the ball is going to turn from there, so be it,' Shastri said.

'So what? It's home conditions, do what suits you, both teams have to play on the surface, there's a match referee who is the boss, it's as simple as that.

'We never complained about pitches, in my career we never complained about a simple pitch.

'No excuses, just get on with it, at the end of three days no one's going to get killed on that surface.'

The controversial photos of the pitch were taken after the visitors had trained at Nagpur Stadium, but star batters Steve Smith and David Warner were already concerned by the state of the track.

'Pretty dry, particularly one end,' Smith said on Tuesday.

'I think it'll take a bit of spin, particularly the left-arm spin, and spinning it back into our left-handers.

'There's a section there that's quite dry.

'I don't think there'll be a heap of bounce in the wicket and I think it'll be quite skiddy for the seamers, and maybe a bit of up and down movement as the game goes on.

'The cracks felt quite loose.'

Experienced cricket writer Peter Lalor was floored by the pictures of the wicket, saying it's evidence that wickets are becoming more 'extreme' for Australian teams touring India.

'Even in 2004, the wickets weren't as extreme as they are these days,' Lalor said.

'India seems more determined every tour to make wickets that are going to make the Aussies uncomfortable, or any visitor uncomfortable.

'I've got to say, I've never seen a pitch preparation like what they've done here in Nagpur.

'You would have seen the stuff in social media, that selective watering and selective rolling only has one purpose in mind – to undermine left-handed batters and India doesn't have any while Australia has six.' 

The opening Test between Australia and India begins on Thursday at Nagpur.