IND vs AUS: Australia Assistant Coach Daniel Vettori Says Australian Batters Are Getting Used To Pitches In India

Daniel Vettori said that talks about the pitches in the series are irrelevant as the wicket is same for both teams.

New Delhi: There have been plenty of talks about the pitches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. All three matches in the series so far have ended within three days, raising a massive debate about whether the pitches were suited for Test cricket.

A few Australian experts even alleged BCCI for doctoring the pitches and even slammed the board for making surfaces that are too spin friendly. While the wickets in Nagpur and Delhi also offered enough help to the spinners, the pitch in Indore exploded from ball one which saw India being bowled out for a mere 109 and thus losing the match by nine wickets. The hosts lead the series 2-1 after picking wins in the first two matches.

Amidst all the talks regarding the surfaces, Aussie assistant coach Daniel Vettori has made a huge comment. Vettori said that the pitches remain the same for everyone and teams have to play good cricket to emerge victorious. “I don’t mind the surfaces because I feel it’s the same for everyone. It doesn’t feel like the toss is the key ingredient… you almost know what to expect,” the former spinner has said.

“You turn up and you can see that it’s going to be this type of wicket and you can prepare for it. I think that allows some skill to come into it, some perseverance and some fortitude around the things that you have to do.”

Adding further, Vettori said that the Australian batters have started to get used to the conditions.

“The batting group, hearing them talk, has started to bind to that as well. A score of 30 could be a great day. It’s how you get that 30 that makes such a difference. The challenge is in accepting it more than anything. That’s easier said than done,” said Vettori.

Nathan Lyon was the start for Australia, picking 11 of the 20 wickets in Indore. He got good support from newbies Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy. Vettori said that he is quite happy with the performance of the spinners.

“That’s the main challenge on these surfaces,” Vettori said. “The expectation is so high that you’re going to do well and you are going to take a wicket every ball. I think the guys who do it consistently, there are quite a number of them on show in this series from both teams… they don’t wilt to the pressure. They understand their process and they repeat, repeat and repeat.”

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