Even before a ball is bowled in the 2023 edition of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the talks of pitch have taken centre-stage.

The ground staff at VCA stadium in Nagpur has been preparing the pitch for the first Test with some selective watering, leading to Australian media accusing the hosts of doctoring the strip.

Amid the outrage, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has said that the challenge of being an international cricketer is to adapt to different kinds of surfaces and the visitors should be well aware that the Indian pitches will offer turn

“When you become an international cricketer, you are supposed to play on any kind of surface in the world. Those are challenges of travelling. When we go to Australia, we don’t expect turners there. We know nature of the surface is going to be a little bouncy and more pace in it and upfront movement of seam,” Tendulkar said in an exclusive chat with PTI.

“So is the case with Australian team, when they are in India. They know that there will be turn and nature of the surface will be slowish. They are prepared for that, they have practised with SG balls. Every team prepares to the best of their abilities and it is what happens around them amplify but the team is always in a different space compared to what outsiders are thinking.

“I feel Aussies are prepared to play and face the challenges,” he added.

While everyone is expecting spinners to rule the roost, Tendulkar said reverse swing will also be crucial.

“The first hour of every morning, seamers will come into play and so will the spinners because in the morning there is going to be that bite in the surface.

“I remember playing one game in Nagpur where spinners dominated the morning session. The odd ball went straight and other one spun viciously. It became difficult for batters to gauge which one will turn and which one will come straight. It’s going to be both and reverse will come into play in this series.”

India’s ace batter Virat Kohli has regained his form in white-ball cricket and Tendulkar feels it augurs well for the team ahead of the Test series against Australia.

“With the way he has played in last few months, I really liked watching that, very assertive, very certain of what he wanted to do.”

He is keen to watch the contest between Nathan Lyon and Kohli.

“World cricket needs these kind of rivalries. It is important to have those rivalries and remember when Australia had come in 1998, it was termed Warne vs Tendulkar and I had to remind everyone that it is not Warne vs Tendulkar but Australia vs India. But everyone likes to see such rivalries.”

(With PTI Inputs)