The Border-Gavaskar Trophy -- Test series between India and Australia -- is all set to kick off on February 9 with the first match taking place at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. Wary of the spin threat against India, the guests are preparing themselves in the best possible way to tackle the challenge. The Australian team is practising on worn pitches -- surfaces that are expected to be offered to them during the four-match Test series against India. Pictures of the training pitch are now going viral on social media with netizens being amazed at the length Australia has gone to prepare for the assignment.
Three pitches in the middle of the main ground in Alur have been prepared by the local Karnataka State Cricket Association for the practice, informed Cricket Australia, adding that the pitches offer more turn as training progresses.
Here is the picture shared by cricket.com.au:
Here is the how the netizens reacted to it:
Meanwhile, Australian batters have been practicing against Ravichandran Ashwin's "duplicate" Mahesh Pithiya, flying him to Bengaluru by the touring team as a net bowler to negate the threat of the India off-spinner.
Having already prepared some pitches that resemble the kind of wickets that would be prepared in the actual Test series, Australia are practicing playing Pithiya, hoping to get used to the sort of impact Ashwin could create on such wickets.