‘It should be good for the remainder of the Test’ - Pitch curator reflects on upcoming Adelaide clash pitch

With a mammoth win in the first Test of the BGT 2024-25 secured, the Indian team will now head to Adelaide for the second Test. Rohit Sharma’s men will take on Australia in the second Test from December 6 at the Adelaide Oval in a pink-ball Test match. 

With the second Test approaching, there have been chances of rain being predicted on the opening day of the clash. Furthermore, the pitch curator of the Adelaide Oval, Damian Hough, recently came forward and gave his opinion on the pitch. 

Hough reflected on how he expects the pitch to hold up across the five days of the clash. He was hopeful about the storm being light on Saturday and talked about various timelines as well. 

“Friday looks like it could be thunderstorms. I’m not sure exactly on the timing of those storms coming through, but we’re expecting to pull covers on Friday. Hopefully it clears out on Saturday morning; then it should be good for the remainder of the Test,” said Hough while speaking with cricket.com.au.

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It is worth noting that Australia has competed in 12 out of the 23 pink-ball Test matches since 2015. Out of the 12, they have registered wins in 11 of those matches. On the other hand, the Indian team has played in four pink-ball Tests and has won three out of the four. 

Further elaborating on the pitch, Damian Hough talked about the length of the grass as well. Interestingly, the grass will be of the same length as it was in the Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and Western Australia, where pacers put in an excellent performance. 

“Shield games, whether it’s a red ball or a pink one, we’re trying to replicate the Shield and the Test preparation … very similar preparations. The Shield pitch showed if you didn’t get a new ball under lights, and you had a couple of set batters in, you’re able to see through some night-time cricket,” said Hough.