MCG curator Matt Page explains what to expect from Melbourne surface for Boxing Day Test

In less than two days’ time, Team India will be taking the yard against Australia for the fourth Test of the series which also happens to be the hallowed Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. As the mercury rises, with the fans getting desperate for a clinical show from Rohit Sharma and company, one of the key elements which will be playing an important role in the upcoming fixture is the pitch.

It goes without saying that there will be bounce and pace on the surface. However, to make it more interesting, the chief curator of MCG, Matt Page underlined the fact that the turners will have to work hard to wring out any assistance. However, he made it clear that once the lacquer wears off the new ball, the batter will have a lot to look forward to.

Talking in a press-conference, Page said, “We have been happy with what we have served up in the last couple of years and we don’t see any reason to change that. Seven years ago, the pitch was quite flat.”

He further added, “We sat down as an organisation and said we want to create more exciting Tests, so we leave more grass on now, and that brings the bowlers into it a bit more, but the surface is still good for batting once the new ball goes off. We have been running at six millimetres of grass and we will monitor that.”

Emphasizing the part for the spinners, Page added, “It doesn’t really break up for spin. Look at our long format games over the last four or five years and they were probably more seam-friendly. We are never going to be as quick as Perth and Brisbane, but over the last few years, we have managed to get some pace in it. If you are a fast bowler, you probably will get excited. It will seam around the whole game with the new ball.”

He also opened up on the practice pitches for India, stating, “We prepare the practice pitches three days before the game and if India had turned up today, they would have got fresh ones. It is standard procedure.”

It is going to be a full-blown contest of two powerhouses in the longest format of the game as the battle for the Mace picks up a notch. With the series locked at 1-1, one can expect both the teams to showcase their strength and flair in MCG.