Australia will go to battle with the sub-continental giants on the same strip where South Africa's spinners destroyed Sri Lanka in last week's Sydney quarter. Photo / Getty Images
Australia will go to battle with the sub-continental giants on the same strip where South Africa's spinners destroyed Sri Lanka in last week's Sydney quarter. Photo / Getty Images
The ICC dispatched their official pitch inspector to the SCG yesterday, as tension builds over what surface Australia will confront spin kings India on in Thursday's World Cup semifinal.
Sydney's famous 22-yards of turf was yesterday being treated like a crime scene, as Essex-born Andy Atkinson, the governing body's chiefpitch inspector, spent lengthy sessions out in the middle in deep conversation with local curator Tom Parker.
Australia will go to battle with the sub-continental giants on the same strip where South Africa's spinners destroyed Sri Lanka in last week's Sydney quarter, raising question marks over whether the hosts will feel as though they're away from home.
Even three days out from the match there is no grass on the wicket, and a well-placed source said India "wouldn't be unhappy" with what they saw and expect the pitch could take some turn.
Australia's players were publicly eager for some grass on the wicket to suit their seamers, while India are obviously keen for the pitch to remain dry.
Australia were originally frustrated about the wicket for their group game against another sub-continental powerhouse - Sri Lanka - and even promoted frontline spinner Xavier Doherty to their XI as a result.
But after the two sides piled on nearly 700 runs for the match, the Australian players were praising the surface as an ideal one-day wicket.
