Tensions between India and Australia increased ahead of the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne, following complaints from the Indian team about the quality of practice pitches provided at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Rumors of a conspiracy against the Indian squad were sparked when it was reported that the team was given used pitches with low bounce and speed, while Australia practiced on fresh tracks.
MCG curator Matt Page, however, denied these claims, emphasizing that the decision was part of the “standard procedure” for preparing practice pitches. He explained that Test-quality practice wickets are typically made available to both teams only three days before a match, meaning fresh pitches were not yet in use for training.
The controversy gained momentum after India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and bowler Akash Deep suffered injury scares during their practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Rohit Sharma sustained a knee injury after a delivery from a throwdown specialist kept low, striking his right leg. He spent nearly 30 minutes off the field with an ice pack. Akash Deep also required medical assistance after being hit on the hand.
Addressing the concerns, Page clarified that the practice pitches available to the Indian team were those that had been used for the Big Bash League, and were not specific to any one team. He reassured that fresh pitches would be made available starting Monday, which both teams could use for their final preparations.
“It’s stock standard procedure for us, three days out, we prepare Test match pitches here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had,” Page explained. “Today, we are on fresh pitches. If India had trained this morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches.”
While India opted not to train on Monday, Australia held an optional practice session on the new pitches. The incident has raised questions about fairness and transparency, but according to Page, there was no intention of disadvantaging the Indian team.
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