MCG curator Matt Page responds to India training pitch claim

The MCG head curator had to respond to an unexpected line of questioning from the visiting media ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

MCG head curator Matt Page was forced to defend the practice pitches offered to India ahead of the Boxing Day Test after two players were struck while batting on Sunday.

Tension between the tourists and Australian media continued as an Indian journalist asked Page why Australia had been given access to fresh turf pitches for training on Monday after India had a session on worn pitches the day before.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma was struck on the knee and had to pause his session for treatment while Akash Deep was also hit as he observed variable bounce on the training pitches.

Speaking to reporters in Hindi after the training session, Deep allayed any injury concerns for the duo as he suggested they were practising on the wickets used by Big Bash sides.

Indian fast bowler Akash Deep (left) says he and Rohit Sharma are fine after being struck in the MCG nets on Sunday. Picture: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

“We keep getting hit in the nets. That is fine. I think this wicket was for white ball, which is why the ball kept low at times. But these blows are common in training,” Deep said.

“There are no major concerns because of that.”

Page said the MCG protocol was to prepare the Test practice wickets from three days before the game – the day after India held its main training session on Sunday.

It is understood there was no departure from previous timings used for the Boxing Day Test in recent years.

“For us, three days out, we prepare Test match pitches for here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had,” Page said.

“Today, we are on fresh pitches. If India had trained (Monday) morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches – it’s stock standard procedure for us, three days out.”

Page said the MCG pitch would be a “rinse and repeat job” after it received the highest possible rating from the ICC in the last two years.

MCG head curator Matt Page spoke to the media on Monday ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Picture: William West / AFP

He said it would not be as lively as the Sheffield Shield and “A” game pitches seen earlier this season, but would still excite both pace attacks including Indian star Jasprit Bumrah.

Only seven of the 93 wickets taken in the first three Tests fell to spin, and Page expected the MCG pitch to again offer little for the slow bowlers.

“We’ve seen three fantastic Test matches so far on three great pitches. So for us, it’s trying to do something similar to what we’ve done the last couple of years and create a thrilling contest,” Page said.

He said the 40C forecast for Boxing Day was unlikely to significantly affect his team’s preparation, but flagged more moisture could be left in the pitch for the first day.

“It’s been factored in … now how far we go, we don’t know. We’ll just monitor – as we know with Melbourne, the weather can change quite quickly,” he said.

“It probably means it might quicken up (in pace) a bit quicker than what it would if it was 20 (degrees). Whether we leave a bit more moisture in it, I can’t say at this stage.”

Originally published as MCG curator Matt Page responds to India training pitch claim