The first Test match between India and Australia in Nagpur came to a swift conclusion within three days, with the Indian team delivering a commanding performance that saw them bowl out the Australian tourists twice, while only batting once themselves. Despite the loss by innings and 132 runs, the Australian team remained resilient and sought to take advantage of the “tricky” Nagpur pitch by practicing on it. However, their plans were foiled as the ground staff had reportedly watered the pitch, according to a report by Fox Cricket.
Australia had requested that the center wicket and training pitches be left untouched, allowing the team to put in some additional practice ahead of the second Test in Delhi. However, they were informed that the pitches had already been watered the previous night. According to the report, Australian coach Andrew McDonald stated that the extra practice session was an effort for the players to gain a better understanding of the wicket.
“We were clear on what we expected, and when we got here, we got exactly that,” McDonald said. “We have a large squad of 17 players, so different people are on different training programs. There will be a couple of players from the game who will come down for training, but it’s just about preparing for the next game.”
Speculations about changes to the Australian playing XI have already emerged, with reports suggesting that opener David Warner may not be included in the team, while a third spinner, Matt Kuhnemann, may be added to the lineup.
