BRISBANE: It’s muggy and overcast here, and there’s some chance of showers over the weekend. Luckily, the persistent heavy rain which affected Australia‘s training plans this week is expected to abate, and Pat Cummins‘ men will be happy they’ve got a pre-Christmas game at the Gabba this time around.
The fresh, early season pitch promises more life and bounce, and though Australia themselves won’t be immune to batting collapses if Jasprit Bumrah gets going, the team has a far better record in Tests played in mid-Dec here. Australia have lost the last two Tests at this venue, both of which were played in Jan – to West India in 2023 and India in 2021.
IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma has had a terrible time with the bat in whites
“It can be a slightly different pitch earlier in the season,” curator David Sandurski said here on Wednesday. “Later on, the pitch might have a bit more wear and tear, while the ones early on in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them. We still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We’re just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do every year,” he said.
Australia, incidentally, have lost just seven of 61 pre-Christmas Tests here, while losing three of five played in Jan. Sandurski insisted the pitch wouldn’t be like the one on which South Africa beat the hosts inside two days two years ago, a game played from Dec 17-18. A recent Sheffield Shield contest, played under lights with the pink ball last month from Nov 24-27, saw 15 wickets fall on the opening day, although eventual winners Victoria scored 439 in their second innings.
“The aim is to be similar to that Sheffield Shield wicket where there was a good balance between bat and ball,” Sandurski said. “Hopefully there’s a bit in it for everyone.”
On another note, the Gabba’s future as a Test venue is uncertain since the stadium is likely to be renovated in time for the Olympic Games in 2032. An early December Ashes Test scheduled for next year may well be the last Test here before work begins to increase the stadium capacity.
This means Gabba’s days as an iconic Test venue which shapes Australia’s cricket summer are numbered.
