Perth: Optus Stadium curator tips fiery wicket for Second Test between Australia and India

[OzGirl]

Curator Brett Sipthorpe on the wicket that will be used at Optus Stadium for the Second Test between Australia and India.Picture: Daniel Wilkins

 

New curator Brett Sipthorpe has warned this week’s debut Optus Stadium Test match may not go the distance, predicting the team winning the toss will send the opposition in on a green and bouncy drop-in pitch.

Sipthorpe is expecting the fast bowlers to gain significant seam, swing and bounce when the venue hosts the second Test between Australia and India beginning on Friday.

 

The preferred No.3 strip will be used for the clash, which was the original prototype drop-in wicket developed at Gloucester Park and the same pitch used for last summer’s historic one-day international between Australia and England.

The WA Cricket Association’s head curator said he had not felt any commercial pressure to ensure the Test match went for five days and that he was aiming to produce a fast pitch that would recall the WACA Ground’s heyday and genuinely test the batsmen.

 

“I don’t know what’s happened in the past, but I haven’t had any correspondence relating to that (commercial considerations) at all,” Sipthorpe said.

 

“For us it’s been more about there’s no Gabba in this Test series. So the only other ground that’s got the potential to be that fiery, bouncy pitch is our one. Length of time hasn’t been discussed at all. It’s just try and make it quick, try and make it bouncy.

 

“I would think you would probably want to (bowl first). We’d think they probably would. At the moment the forecast is looking like low 30s right through the game, so if there’s anything in it it’s going to be early.

 

“But it may quicken up on day two as it dries out a little bit and gets a bit harder too.”

 

While the largely enclosed stadium’s design appeared to prevent the sea breeze that has played a part in swing bowling at the WACA Ground for generations, Sipthorpe believed Optus Stadium actually had the potential to be a swing bowler’s paradise.

 

“It swung prodigiously the first two days of the Shield game (between WA and New South Wales). It seems to be something about the venue, it maybe just seems to lock in a bit of humidity or something,” he said.

Sipthorpe, an Australian who spent a decade in charge at Wellington’s Basin Reserve and Westpac Stadium, developed a reputation for producing lively pitches in New Zealand.

 

He believed the proliferation of Twenty20 cricket meant it was more important than ever that Test match conditions allowed for a genuine battle between bat and ball.

 

“Particularly in the long form of the game, I love seeing bowlers take it up to the batsmen and have a real battle. Because in Twenty20 now, the bowlers are just on the receiving end of a hiding all the time,” Sipthorpe said.

 

“I want to see Test cricket. I want to see the bowlers with the upper hand for a change and they can really get into the batsmen. Pace and bounce gives them that weaponry.

 

“I don’t think anyone wants to see flat five-day cricket. I think people would prefer to see it go for three and a half, four days, but exciting, tough, dour cricket. Rather than bowlers on the receiving end for five days and you end up with a dull draw.

 

“I’d like to see it go day four, if it stretches into day five that’s great. The main thing is to get a result.”

The only other ground that’s got the potential to be that fiery, bouncy pitch is our one.

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/cricket/optus-stadium-curator-tips-fiery-wicket-for-second-test-between-australia-and-india-ng-b881044163z

 

 

[rkt.india]

https://www.cricket.com.au/video/perth-scorchers-enland-lions-new-perth-stadium-optus-big-bash-bbl-warm-up-game-highlights/2017-12-14

 

video of the game between England Lions and Perth Scorchers played at Optus Stadium.

[rkt.india]

https://www.cricket.com.au/video/all-england-wickets-andrew-tye-marsh-australia-england-fifth-odi-perth-optus-stadium-highlights/2018-01-28

 

Aus vs England ODI

[OzGirl]

4 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

https://www.cricket.com.au/video/perth-scorchers-enland-lions-new-perth-stadium-optus-big-bash-bbl-warm-up-game-highlights/2017-12-14

 

video of the game between England Lions and Perth Scorchers played at Optus Stadium.

This was the result of the Aussie v SA at Perth

 

https://live.cricket.com.au/match/2173/43616/australia-men-vs-south-africa-men-gillette-odis-v-south-africa/scorecard

[rkt.india]

https://www.cricket.com.au/video/jhye-richardson-eight-wickets-highlights-western-australia-new-south-wales-sheffield-shield-video/2018-11-27

 

Jhye Richardson 8/47 against NSW

[OzGirl]

5 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

https://www.cricket.com.au/video/jhye-richardson-eight-wickets-highlights-western-australia-new-south-wales-sheffield-shield-video/2018-11-27

 

Jhye Richardson 8/47 against NSW

Jhye also broke Maddison's arm, Maddison will be out for 4 months.

Edited December 11, 2018 by OzGirl

[Sgattick10]

Lol mind games, unless it's overcast, India should bat first. 

[cowboysfan]

this will backfire on them like it backfired on the Saffers.

 

 

[The Dark Horse]

1 hour ago, cowboysfan said:

this will backfire on them like it backfired on the Saffers.

 

 

This. I'd rather like to see a pacy wicket. 

[express bowling]

Bring it on  !

 

I hope the pitch is really fast and bouncy.

 

On a normal pitch in Adelaide,  the Indian fast bowlers bounced out Head, Handscomb and Paine.

 

Hit  Khwaja, Paine, Marsh, Starc and Lyon on the head and body.   Made the Aussies hop and jump.

 

The same thing happened when South Africa tried to dish out a quick and bouncy pitch in Johannesberg this year.   They lost the match, got bounced out and many more SA batters got hit than Indian batters.  Elgar almost had a concussion.

 

I hope the Aussies provide the quickest pitch they can.    I am waiting for the fun to begin  !       

Edited December 12, 2018 by express bowling

[Nikhil_cric]

And we are consistently made to believe that Australia/South Africa/England create sporting pitches which do not favour the home side.   

[Wall2018]

ICC doesn't have problem with the pitch now???

[ravishingravi]

This match will decide if a Indian team can earn genuine respect. 

[diga]

21 hours ago, Nikhil_cric said:

And we are consistently made to believe that Australia/South Africa/England create sporting pitches which do not favour the home side.   

someone share this with Michael Vaughan & Damien Fleming

[coffee_rules]

Oh boy, not much difference between the pitch and the ground.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/pitch-will-backfire-on-aussies-vaughan-20181213-p50m6h.html

 

[OzGirl]

.

[Aiden]

Same was said about Adelaide wicket but turned out to be typical sub continental pata. 

[OzGirl]

Pitch is very green, 1 hour from the toss of the coin, love green pitches good for the bowlers and if you are a decent bat you can score runs as well.

[MechEng]

On 12/11/2018 at 10:11 PM, express bowling said:

Bring it on  !

 

I hope the pitch is really fast and bouncy.

 

On a normal pitch in Adelaide,  the Indian fast bowlers bounced out Head, Handscomb and Paine.

 

Hit  Khwaja, Paine, Marsh, Starc and Lyon on the head and body.   Made the Aussies hop and jump.

 

The same thing happened when South Africa tried to dish out a quick and bouncy pitch in Johannesberg this year.   They lost the match, got bounced out and many more SA batters got hit than Indian batters.  Elgar almost had a concussion.

 

I hope the Aussies provide the quickest pitch they can.    I am waiting for the fun to begin  !       

What I feel is that Aussies don't yet rate Bumrah and this pitch will be perfect for Bumrah to get 10 wickets, because the way he angles the ball in and gets it to hold the line. Perth will be perfect for his style of bowling.