'Fast, hard, bouncy wicket' on cards in Perth for Australia-Pakistan Test series opener

Australia are all set to take on Pakistan in a three-match Test series, with the first Test commenced to play from December 14 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Two days prior to the first Test, the pitch features ten millimeters of grass, however, further trimming is anticipated. Head curator Isaac McDonald predicts a "hard, fast, and bouncy" surface for the match. Notably, this fixture will only be the fourth Test held at Optus Stadium.

Less than three weeks have passed since the drop-in pitch was installed at Optus Stadium. Although pitches there played sluggishly earlier in the Sheffield Shield season, it has the same local clay and variety of grass as the WACA surfaces. Although the Perth stadium drop-in surface was installed under stifling late-spring weather, relatively gentler temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius are anticipated for the first Test.

"The conditions are really favourable for making a really nice, fast, hard and bouncy wicket. I'm really happy with the presentation and how it's going. At the moment I'm at 10mm [of grass] and that's where I started last year's game. But there's still a day of prep. It's hard to give a number, but I can't see it staying at 10. Definitely not having as much grass on top is what I'm aiming for,” McDonald told reporters on Tuesday.

With the weather forecast having milder temperatures, a departure from the usual stifling conditions seen in many Perth Test matches, it is less likely that the pitch will develop cracks in the latter part of the match. McDonald expressed his belief that the temperatures won't get "hot enough" for the pitch to break, emphasising the different environment they are in for this time around.

"I just don't think it gets hot enough. You need like three-four days of high 30s-mid-40s to really make it blow open. In this stadium we are quite sheltered whereas at the WACA it's open and you get the wind, so it's a different kind of an environment where we're kind of stuck in,” McDonald added.