The SCG Pitch - looks to lean towards the seamers initially before flattening out. 3 + 1 spinner looks more likely.
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Australia vs India at the SCG: Curator Justin Groves expects something for everyone in pitch
Talk of the SCG wicket being more spin-friendly than ever before has been tossed out by curator Justin Groves, who is predicting fast bowlers will play a big part in the Sydney Test.
Groves revealed on Wednesday his wicket for the fourth and final Test between Australia and India. The 22 yard strip – like Melbourne and Perth – has a healthy green tinge on the Test’s eve.
That has Groves confident that there will be enough on offer on days one and two for each side’s star quicks, before the likes of Nathan Lyon can capitalise on a drying wicket in the latter stages, as per most SCG tests.
“I’m very happy with the pitch at this stage … It’s going to do what the SCG traditionally does so we’re really happy with it,” Groves told reporters a day out from the Test. “It’s going to play very similar to other years.
“What we generally have is a bit of a green tinge on days one and two favouring the batsmen a little bit. Some good early bowling with the new ball before turning late in the game and getting a bit more unpredictable as the game wears on through the five days.”
With Sydney experiencing a run of warm days, the pitch was rumoured to be drier than other years and therefore extra conducive to spin.
But Groves said the wicket has in fact retained plenty moisture, which he expects to last through much of the Test.
“We’ve got our moisture content pretty good for what we’re trying to achieve here, so generally late in the game it does turn here at the SCG,” he said.
“Mother nature plays a big part in what we are doing here, and we do have some hot days coming up. So we’ve got enough moisture in the pitch to make it last the five days and produce an even contest.”
India will still be without key spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up an abdominal strain after the first Test in Adelaide.
Skipper Virat Kohli said on Wednesday that he is confident in the spin bowling of allrounder Hanuma Vihari who has picked up much of the injured bowler’s slack.
“It is obviously a disappointment for us a team and him (Ashwin) personally, but if you look at the way Vihari has bowled he’s looked like picking up a wicket whenever he comes to bowl,” Kohli said.
“He’s pitching the ball in the right areas so we are looking to him as a solid bowling option right now, especially in this Test match because he’s got pace on the ball, he puts in the effort, and he’s economical which is all you need from a guy who is coming in to bowl 10 to 12 overs a day.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...h/news-story/4973ca1258989d75c3ab73768a544850
