Team India are dominating Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
While the hosts thrashed Australia by an innings and 132 runs in the opening Test in Nagpur, they won the second game in Delhi by six wickets.
The two teams will now meet in Indore for the third Test, slated to get underway on Wednesday (March 1). Just like the first two games, fans and experts are talking about the pitch before the third Test.
According to a TOI report, the Indore Test will be played on the red soil pitch, which doesn’t only offer turn but also good bounce.
"There are four pitches in Indore-two of red soil and two of black soil. All indications are that the Test will be played on the red soil pitch. The Indian team is more comfortable with the red soil pitches, as besides offering turn, it affords good bounce, which makes batsmen comfortable," a TOI quoted a source as saying.
Meanwhile, the pitches for the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi have received "average" rating by ICC match referee Andrew Pycroft.
At VCA Stadium in Nagpur, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ran through the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, claiming a five-wicket haul (5-47) to bundle out the visitors for a paltry 177.
After India took a massive first-innings lead of 223 runs, it was R Ashwin’s turn to demolish the Aussies with the ball. The veteran off-spinner returned with the figures of 5 for 37 in his 12 overs as the home team bowl out the tourists for a mere 91 to wrap the match inside three days.
In the Delhi Test, Australian batters committed harakiri in the second innings to suffer another defeat inside three days.
At the close of play on Day 2, the Pat Cummins-led side was in the driver’s seat with a second-innings score of 61/1 and an overall lead of 62 runs. However, Jadeja (7/42) spun a web around Australia with the ball in the first session on the third day, bundling out the visitors for a paltry 113.
India then chased down the 115-run target to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy for fourth straight time.
(With TOI Inputs)
