India face pitch doctoring claims over stunning photos of ‘selective’ watering as another Aussie star drops out

India are facing claims of pitch doctoring in the lead-up to Thursday’s first Test in Nagpur after stunning photos emerged of how groundstaff are preparing the wicket. 

The dry strip in the centre square at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is virtually devoid of grass but the groundstaff have watered the surface apart from full-length areas outside the off stump of a left-handed batter at each end.

This will play into the hands of India’s spinning trio Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel but also seems to be a deliberate tactic to stifle the Australian batters. 

Six of the top eight touring batters are lefties with Matt Renshaw likely to replace all-rounder Cameron Green – who is set to miss the series opener with a finger injury – and Ashton Agar likely to be Nathan Lyon’s spin partner. 

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Cricbuzz reporter Bharat Sundaresan posted pictures on social media of the Nagpur groundstaff rolling the damp parts of the wicket but not touching the dry areas that will benefit spinners bowling to left-handers. 

“Interesting treatment of the pitch in Nagpur. The groundstaff watered the entire centre of the surface & only the length areas outside the left-hander’s leg stump & then rolled only the centre, stopping short every time they got to the good length areas at both ends,” he wrote in the accompanying caption. 

Veteran opener David Warner appeared concerned by the rough patch outside the off stump for left-handers when the Aussies inspected the pitch.

Vice-captain Steve Smith admitted he could not get a “good gauge” on the pitch.

“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.”

India vice-captain KL Rahul said his team would give serious consideration to playing three spinners, with two of them likely to be left-handed duo Jadeja and Patel.

Steve Smith and David Warner check the pitch in Nagpur. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Australia have already been preparing to face Ashwin by bringing in a “duplicate” bowler of the prolific right-arm finger-spinner during their pre-series training camp in Bengaluru.

“There will be a temptation to play three spinners because we’re playing in India,” Rahul said on Tuesday.

“There’s no surprise that the pitches are going to spin but we’ll make that call on the day before (Wednesday) the game.”

The pitch was under cover for most of Australia’s time at the stadium but the curator and ground staff got to work during the afternoon when India trained.

India’s insistence on spin-friendly conditions backfired during Australia’s last tour in 2017, when left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe ran through the hosts with 12-70 to set up a 333-run win in the opening Test in Pune.

Green’s bold bid to play is all but over with the all-rounder still managing his recovery from a broken finger.

The 23-year-old remained on light duties during Australia’s training session at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium on Tuesday.

Green bowled briefly on a centre wicket pitch but still appeared to be struggling after suffering a nasty broken finger during the Boxing Day Test.

Pat Cummins checks the pitch at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Australia coach Andrew McDonald last week raised the possibility of Green slotting in at No.6 and not bowling during the Border-Gavaskar series opener.

However, Smith all but admitted Green’s hopes of featuring in Nagpur were over.

“I don’t think he’s even faced fast-bowling yet, so I dare say he won’t be playing, but who knows,” Smith said. 

“I don’t even know what he’s done (at training), I was sort of focusing on my work. We’ll wait and see but it’s unlikely I think.”

With Green set to be ruled out, Renshaw is the frontrunner to retain his place at No.6 after replacing him for the New Year’s match against South Africa at the SCG.

Renshaw, who was Warner’s opening partner on Australia’s last tour to India in 2017, went more than four years before adding to his 11 Tests.

Cameron Green. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Victorian Peter Handscomb, who also played all four Tests in India six years ago, is also an option to bat at No.6.

As a right-hander, Handscomb could be brought in to balance the batting line-up.

Green’s absence is a further blow to Australia’s pace stocks, with Mitchell Starc (broken finger) and Josh Hazlewood (achilles) – who have taken 526 Test wickets between them – not playing in Nagpur.

Scott Boland will almost certainly come in for his first Test outside of Australia, while speedster Lance Morris could be handed a dream debut as the only other quick outside of skipper Pat Cummins in the 18-man squad.

Starc, Hazlewood and Green will all be racing the clock to be available for the second Test in Delhi, with just three days in between matches.