Pitch craft: India’s late switch set to pay dividends with Aussies facing another raging turner

India’s late switch of pitches from Dharamshala to Indore looks to pay spinning dividends with a turning track on the cards when the third Test against Australia gets underway on Wednesday.

The pre-match preparation of the wickets has become an ongoing storyline of Australia’s tour of India after the tourists were spooked by the Nagpur strip for the series opener amid claims of pitch doctoring and then brought undone on the turning pitch at Delhi. 

Initially the third Test was scheduled to be held at picturesque ground at Dharamsala, which is dwarfed by the nearby Himalayan mountain range and is traditionally considered one of India’s more pace-friendly arenas. 

However, the BCCI made a late switch a fortnight ago because the “outfield lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully” due to “harsh winter conditions in the region”.

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The Australians on Monday had a look at the pitch at Indore’s Holkar Stadium where the home side has an enviable record – they thrashed New Zealand by 321 runs in 2016 before belting Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs three years later.

Mitchell Swepson and Todd Murphy inspect the pitch at Holkar Stadium in Indore. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

It’s a particularly fond venue for star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who has taken 18 wickets at 12.5 in his two Tests at the venue. He was named player of the match against the Black Caps after bagging 13 dismissals.

The pitch looks similar to the Delhi wicket with a covering of grass through the middle but bare patches from a good length onwards, which will suit India’s spinners.

Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc is making his return from a finger injury, along with all-rounder Cameron Green, and they are likely to be Australia’s only seamers with the spin trio of Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy set to be retained. Starc’s return is timely given captain Pat Cummins needed to return home to Australia due to his mother being in palliative care.

Australia played three frontline spinners in the team at Delhi for the first time in six years and faced with another turning deck, they are all but certain to use the rare tactic in back-to-back Tests.

“It’s obviously been a challenge for the past couple of weeks or first two Tests. We do see spin obviously playing a huge part in this Test series, but the quicks have still played a particular role, whether it be with the new ball, if it does reverse, being able to sort of skiddy ball and bring the stumps into place,” Starc said.

“There’s certainly an important role to play for the seam bowlers. The Indian guys (Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami) and I think Pat at different times has played a key role in attacking with the ball as well. 

“No doubt spin will play another part this week but if myself or some of the other seamers get a chance out here, we will have to play an important role with the spinners to take those 20 wickets.”

Ashwin and left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have bamboozled Australia’s batters in the first two Tests, taking a combined 16 wickets in Delhi after doing likewise in Nagpur.

Starc said he had no concerns about workload or his overall fitness heading into the match which will be his first outing since he suffered his finger injury during the Test win over South Africa at Melbourne at the end of December. 

The NSW veteran said he was feeling “good enough” but will need to field with a splint on his finger for protection.

“There’s going to be a level of discomfort for a little while, I don’t think it is going to be 100 per cent for a little while,” Starc said.

“But the ball is coming out quite nicely and I feel like I’m pretty much at full tilt. It wouldn’t be the first Test match I’ve played in some sort of discomfort. 

“If I only played when I was at 100 per cent I would have only played five or 10 Tests.

“I’m happy with where it’s at and I’ve built up enough of a pain threshold to deal with that stuff over the last 10 or 12 years.”

Australia will attempt to win just their second Test on Indian soil since 2004 without Cummins and veteran opener David Warner, who has been ruled out of the rest of the series due to a broken elbow.

Despite entering the match down 0-2 and their hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy already over, Australia can lock up their spot in the World Test Championship final by avoiding a 4-0 whitewash in India.