Australia have decided not to play a single tour game in India during the month-long Test series, due to the hosts' preference for green-topped pitches and spinning tracks for games.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has labeled Australian batter Steve Smith's bizarre comments on playing tour games ahead of a Test series as "mind games," noting that such strategies are rarely premeditated. Ashwin suggested that Smith's remarks were likely a calculated attempt to gain a psychological edge over the opposition.
Australia have decided not to play a single tour game in India during the month-long Test series, due to the hosts' preference for green-topped pitches and spinning tracks for games. Instead, they have traveled to Alur for a four-day training camp at the KSCA Stadium.
To prepare for the upcoming series, the Australian team is taking advantage of the ideal conditions at the KSCA Stadium, which features a lush green outfield and a pitch that is expected to provide a good balance between spin and pace. With the team's focus on honing their skills and developing strategies for the upcoming series, the four-day camp is sure to be a valuable experience for the Australian side.
When Smith was queried about this, he declared that his team would gain more from individual training rather than playing exhibition matches on inconsequential Indian pitches prior to the four-Test Border-Gavaskar series. He emphasized that the team needed to focus on honing their skills and preparing for the upcoming series.
"We normally have two tour games over in England. This time we don't have a tour game in India. The last time (2017) we went I'm pretty sure we got served up a green top (to practice on) and it was sort of irrelevant. Hopefully, we get really good training facilities where the ball is likely to do what it's likely to do out in the middle, and we can get our practice in," Ashwin said while previewing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on his YouTube channel.
"Australia are not playing any tour matches this time. This is not new. Even India avoids tour games when they go on a few overseas tours. Since Team India's schedule is packed with international games, it is not possible to turn up for practice games with the same intensity.
"Smith said, 'We got a green wicket in Brabourne and a completely opposite one in the first Test (during the 2017 series). In all fairness, it was a rank-turner in Pune. We might have given them a green track, but nobody plans all these things. However, Australia are known for its mind games and sledges before a series. They love doing that. It's their style of cricket," Ashwin added.
Australia have left no stone unturned in their preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series, bringing in a Ravichandran Ashwin duplicate to help them train more effectively. Maheesh Pithiya, whose bowling action is remarkably similar to Ashwin's, has been working with the Australian team in the lead-up to the four-match Test series. His presence has enabled the team to gain a better understanding of the Indian spinner's style of play, allowing them to devise strategies to counter his bowling.
READ| Meet Mahesh Pithiya - R Ashwin's duplicate roped in by Australia to gear up for India challenge
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