England served up pitches to suit their side in the last Ashes so why shouldn’t Australia do the same?
Having exposed the English batsmen’s distaste for facing sharp bowling on a brisk deck at the Gabba, Australia should capitalise by ensuring the remaining venues offer spicier-than-usual surfaces.
After being roughed up by Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris, both of whom were clocked at speeds of at least 147kmh, the Poms will be fearful of what they will encounter at the WACA.
The British press have already identified the MCG and SCG – the venues for the fourth and fifth Tests – as the grounds where England will have their best chance of victories.
Both of those pitches are more similar to English decks than those in Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide.
Australia are well within their rights to ask the groundsmen to prepare them so they more closely resemble the Gabba than Manchester.
The decks in England during the last Ashes at times appeared as if they had been imported from the subcontinent.
It seems likely this was done to negate Australia’s only strength, its pace attack, while exaggerating the perceived gulf in talent between the team’s respective spinners.
Graeme Swann ran amok on the uncharacteristically dry surfaces, snaring 26 wickets for the series.
Just two European summers previous, when spin-reliant India visited, the English pitches had mostly been laced with grass.
During Australia’s Test tour of India early this year every surface comprehensively favoured the home team.
South Africa, meanwhile, have not had one good Test spinner since being re-admitted to international cricket.
They have, however, birthed a bevy of dynamic pacemen.
Not surprisingly, when teams tour South Africa they are typically met with pitches which assist the quicks.
None of this is unfair. It is part of the tremendous challenge of overseas Test tours.
Visiting sides should not expect the hosts to give them a break.
Australia, too, have seemingly tailored pitch conditions to favour their side in the past.
The Gabba Test deck was unusually benign last summer.
Could that have had something to do with the presence of three of the world’s leading pacemen, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel?
While teams steadfastly deny doctoring home pitches, it is plain for all to see.
Australia should gleefully participate in that tradition this summer.
The new drop-in pitch at Adelaide has been so genial this season it appears the only way to make it challenging for batsman would be to bury landmines on a good length.
But the squares at Melbourne and Sydney could easily be enlivened so as to continue to provide generous aid to the devilish deliveries of Johnson and Harris.
That would serve the dual purpose of making lifer harder for Graeme Swann, whose tail is wedged firmly between his legs after the worst match of his glittering Test career at Brisbane.
Of course, England’s accomplished pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad would also cherish juiced-up decks, particularly against Australia’s misfiring top six.
But it is a risk worth taking in order to maximise the Aussies’ strength.
The defensive option for Australia would be to ask for batting paradises at every ground apart from the WACA to try to grind out a series win via a string of draws.
Or they could, and very well might, just leave things to run their natural course while focusing solely on playing better cricket than England, regardless of the conditions.
That would be an admirable approach.
It would also be a tad naive given the rare opportunity Australia have been afforded after their shock thumping of England at the Gabba.
This series is about more than just regaining the Ashes, as grand an achievement as that would be.
An against-the-odds triumph could also prove to be the circuit breaker which prompts Australia’s ascent back towards its relinquished status as a perennial Test cricket heavyweight.
Make no mistake, the difference between the sides in the last Ashes was mental.
Australia achieved four first innings leads yet finished the series winless because they did not possess the same self-belief as their opponents.
Besting England for the first time in seven years would give the Australian side an injection of that priceless confidence which can help Test teams convert winning, or even losing positions into victories.
With so much at stake, why would Australia not request a bit of help from the local groundsmen?
The English top seven is in disarray and it is Australia’s pace brigade which has engineered this situation.
They should be assisted in maintaining this dominance.
Zubes
Guest
Cricket would be boring if all wickets behaved along the same lines. India's pitches are great for spin and swing (both normal and reverse). Its good to see batsman have their footwork tested and pace bowlers who can perform in all conditions. Windies and Pakistan greats had no problems taking wickets in India.
Viren
Guest
+1. As an Indian, there is no joy in cricket when a clueless team gets rolled over by our spinners in 3-4 days. A test should have it all.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I don't know if Australia have done the least doctoring but I haven't seen a lot of blatant examples over the past 15-20 years.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yep absolutely agree on that fellas.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
I think Steele, someone else has also made this point in the discussion - for a very docile pitch, Adelaide definitely produces a lot of results - some three draws in the last 15 matches played there.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
True that Gav. Even more so because preparing pitches isn't an exact art anyway and the different nature of pitches makes it even more interesting to watch.
Gav
Guest
Not sure "England never used to do it" http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Underwood-proves-deadly-in-ldquo-The-Fusarium-Test-rdquo/29396 Ashes folklore this one!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Exactly, I had some of those Sri Lankan pitches in mind too when I made that comment, have had to switch on the TV, such has been the boring passage of play. Ironically, Galle had prepared a difficult pitch and the ICC warned SLC to get moving and change it around next time. Funnily, the game went on for four days and it was the opposition (Australia) who won the game. The fourth innings score was 250+, and yet the ICC had a problem with it. Rest assured it wasn't a dangerous pitch, just that it turned from the first day and Australia won! http://www.espncricinfo.com/India/engine/match/516212.html
Steele
Guest
I might sound bias, but I think Australia have done the least amount of doctoring out of all the nations. I agree, it's time to fasten the pitches up, England never use to do it, but now that they have,it's open season as far as I'm concerned. India made out that we juiced them up something ridiculous, but it was far from reality. Their "revenge" was over the top and unsporting to a degree. No wonder they can't unearth a genuine quick. Adelaide oval is such a snooze fest due to its docile nature.
Gav
Guest
I like it Suneer! To be the best you have to be able to beat the opposition in their own backyard! And no one is going to tell me how to prepare my backyard!!
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Haha the quicks are all lining up to bowl at Eden Gardens!
cantab
Guest
NZ don't and we pay the price for it. 3 day pitches with more uneven bounce than you can point stick at would see us getting better results but we have been turning out roads in resent times.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I'll admit I have been peeved a few times at the state of the Indian pitches but mainly just because I was frustrated our batsmen couldn't score any runs on them! I'm always really excited for the Indian series because we get to see a completely different style of Test cricket and get to see our players out of their comfort zone. It's always fascinating. Spot on with your last point Suneer. Test cricket at the SSC Colombo, for example, is a joke. It's so lopsided in favour of the batsmen that it strips Test cricket of many of its greatest elements.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Australia play two frontline spinners at Adelaide after the success their quicks have had against the English top 7. Adelaide won't be a fast deck but neither were the surfaces in England and the Aussie quicks, particularly Harris, still did well.
Gav
Guest
Yeah win first, concerns about injury second. If you don't win you won't need to worry injury. We don't have enough quality bowlers to rest our no1
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
I think it's highly unfair to even think of the home team to not play to their advantage. In fact, I wouldn't mind going a step further and saying that unless it's a dangerous pitch - to the health of the batsmen - let pitches seam and bounce through the five days if so desired by the home side or turn from day one of the Test, let Tests get over in three days but let us not take away the home advantage from the home team. If playing pace, playing bounce or playing spin is a weakness, then so be it - the opposing team needs to know (or probably already knows that) and should improve rather than whinge about the nature of the tracks. Australia's weakness against spin in recent times is well-chronicled and the only way that can change is by playing on more of such tracks - especially if their A side and their under-19 side goes on more sub-continental tours. Same with England and the same with India. India were bounced out by Australia last time they went there. They were outclassed by England in England. They go to South Africa in a few days and if the tracks remain spicy, it would be very interesting to see whether the batsmen have learnt anything from their previous couple of 4-0 defeats away from home. And if the pitches are spicy and India perform miserably again, then so be it - it shouldn't mean the hosts should lay out a flat, turner for the visitors. And while we are on the topic of pitches, just like the ICC bans grounds where the pitches are difficult to bat on from day one, it should reprimand those where huge scores are made without a remote possibility of a result.
cantab
Guest
I'm with you Ryan as long as its a pitch that in 'most circumstances' will produce a result on the 4th or 5th day. A three day pitch or a 'never ending road' makes for a poor event. IMO a fast pitch which will still break up is the go. On a side note it's funny how Adelaide is seen as a batting paradise but almost always produces a result in a test match.
Nudge
Guest
Yeah agree. The G has had some real good bounce in the last couple of years
Nudge
Guest
It does weaken the batting though mate. Haddin will also bat better at 7 than 6. You need to score 450 bare minimum 1st innings in Adelaide or your in trouble. Cricinfo article saying they are resting 4 bowlers in the shield this week. Boof has said they may play 2 spinners. If they do it has to be sok. Can't play Ahmed, he has been ordinary since he took that 6 for. Square boundaries could get a workout. I'm having a stab and saying the team will be Warner rogers Watson Clarke Smith Bailey Haddin Johnson O'keeffe Siddle Lyon. That would be a hard team to bowl out on a road.
Brian
Guest
I remember Tendulker stating he would train for facing Warne by facing bowlers who were obviously far inferior. So his solution would be to create such atrocious footmarks so the leggies were getting the spin he expected Warne to get on a regular pitch.