The debate over the Indore pitch for the third test between India and Australia does not seem to be ending anytime soon. The pitch at Holkar Stadium in Indore offered plenty of turn, which was a blessing for the spinners but a nightmare for the batters as a total of 31 wickets fell in three match days. The match finally ended on Day 3 with the visitors taking a nine-wicket win to secure their place in the World Test Championship final. As the fourth Test is just around the corner, skipper Rohit Sharma had hinted that Team India might go for a green top pitch in preparation for the WTC final, which will be played at the Oval in London. However, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting rejected all claims, stating that the hosts would opt for a rank reversal rather than a green throw as they must win the fourth test to compete in the WTC final.
Ponting also recalled the 2017 Test series, in which Australia had taken victory in the opening match in Pune, stating that when Team India tries to focus on rank turner, it always backfires on them.
“Having lost the third Test match the whole series is now on the line. If they had won in Indore they might have wanted a wicket in the fourth Test a bit similar to what they could get in the UK .With the series on the draft line no way are they going to do that I think this is the test match result Australia needed in the first test match they had to plant a few seeds of doubt in the heads of the Indian players and the trustees on how they would prepare the wickets,” Ponting told ICC Review.
“I’ve seen this happen in India before. If they’re so focused on producing real turners, it can quickly backfire. It had happened when Steven O’Keefe had taken all those wickets,” he added.
Ponting further stated that the hosts should currently focus on the upcoming Fourth Test rather than the WTC Final.
“So it really intrigues me now how they prepare their wicket for the final game knowing the series is on the line. If I were there I wouldn’t look too far ahead to the WTC final, they would just look at the next five days of Test cricket,” said Ponting.
After losing the first two Tests, Australia staged a remarkable comeback in the third Test at Indore, beating India to cut the deficit to 1–2.
All three tests of the series were completed well within the first three days. The target probably won’t let that happen for the 4th time in a row.
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