Australia v West Indies: The Gabba will have a toned-down terror factor for second Test

All eyes will be on curator Dave Sandurski and the Gabba pitch after last year’s hell-raising deck produced a two-day wicket frenzy. And batsmen have again been warned.

The Gabba will have a toned-down terror factor after its two-day Test last season but batsmen be warned – it won’t be a featherbed.

Curator Dave Sandurski is hopeful of hitting the venue’s time honoured sweet spot for the pink-ball Test against the West Indies on Thursday.

Last season’s Gabba deck was rated “below average’’ and hit with a demerit point by the International Cricket Council match referee Richie Richardson after a hell-raising two day Test against South Africa when fast bowlers filled their boots.

If a ground reaches five demerit points, it is banned from hosting international matches for a year.

Last year’s Gabba pitch was rated “below average’’ and hit with a demerit point by the /ICC. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Often when a deck has such venom the danger for the groundsman is overcorrection the following summer but Sandurski is mindful of this challenge.

“The aim is definitely to wind it back from what it was last year for sure but we have to be careful we don’t go too far,’’ Sandurski told this masthead.

“We want a contest between bat and ball. We don’t want a T20 batathon. We have to find a happy (middle) ground and hopefully we will find it this year.

“The Gabba has always had life with the new ball. The aim is to keep a traditional Gabba wicket and not go back to a T20 road. You have to find that balance.

“It is not a perfect science. Even last year you are talking maybe one millimetre of grass and half of day of sun and we are in a different position. The margins are so fine. The weather definitely makes it tricky.’’

All four Test wickets have favoured the fast bowlers this summer and with the West Indies disappearing for 188 and 120 in Adelaide in a Test which just made the third day administrators are privately hoping the Brisbane pitch can be flat enough to ensure the Test does not finish in rapid time.

Gabba groundsman David Sandurski doesn’t want to “wind it back too far”. Picture: Peter Wallis

The weather forecast in the lead-up to the game is encouraging despite reports of a cyclone stalking some areas of the state.

“We will take an extra millimetre or so of grass off compared to last season. It all comes down to the thickness of the grass as well. It’s not just the height of the grass.

“Last year was a bit of an anomaly. The renovation period we normally do after the AFL season was not able to be done at that time. We had to do it six weeks later. That was a bit of a worry for us out of the blue. Hopefully we can rectify those areas.

“This year we have been able to do our normal practices so I don’t see any issues.

“Hopefully get sunny days between now and match day because you can roll it as much as you like but nothing finishes it off as much as the sun does.’’

Originally published as Australia v West Indies: The Gabba will have a toned-down terror factor for second Test