Adelaide’s batsmen’s paradise lost

Electing to bowl in Adelaide has emerged as a realistic tactic on a first Test strip rated the best in the nation by Brett Lee.

Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough with the pitch for the first Test. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Electing to bowl in Adelaide has emerged as a realistic tactic on a first-Test strip rated the best in the nation by Brett Lee and current stars.

Cricket Australia has worked with venue curators to ensure “different characteristics around the country should be celebrated” ­despite the implementation of drop-ins in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

Perth’s new 60,000 stadium has pace like the WACA of old, while Adelaide has something for everyone. Respected Adelaide ­curator Damian Hough’s drop-in pitch will offer appreciable assistance for the speedsters on day one while off-spinner Nathan Lyon will gain bounce and turn from the get-go.

Batting will become easier as the match wears on. Footmarks that Lyon exploited in Australia’s triumph on day five in 2014 against India will be a factor with Mitchell Starc bowling. However, the pitch will not break up on the final day like traditional Adelaide strips.

Hough has gone down a different path since India’s last visit when the aim was to get the pitch to break up like its predecessors.

“If we can’t get it to deteriorate like the old pitches it was ‘how do we get a good contest between bat and ball?’” Hough said. “You still want spin in Adelaide. We can tick that box, it does spin, but how can we assist the quicks and how do we get it to nibble and at some stage get some partnerships? We have been able to get hundreds and partnerships, an even contest and entertaining game. That has been our key points.”

Lee maintains Hough’s Adelaide pitch is the model for drop-ins around the world. “Adelaide, it flies through, flattens out and turns at the end,” the Fox Sports commentator told News Corp.

Mitch Marsh noted Western Australia chose to bowl first in their win last month against South Australia with unbeaten Shaun Marsh (163) piloting a successful 313-run chase. Travis Head elected to field in the drawn Shield season opener against NSW and noted there had been “nibble” in the ­Adelaide pitch all season.