Cricket 2024: West Indies face a harder challenge against Australia with unusually ‘bouncy’ Adelaide wicket

The Adelaide Oval wicket could make the Windies’ herculean task of toppling Australia even harder, writes DANIEL CHERNY.

The West Indies’ herculean task to topple Australia this week could be made even harder with the Adelaide Oval wicket predicted to be bouncier than usual owing to its unfamiliar slot on the calendar.

Adelaide has in recent decades tended to host a pre-Christmas Test, but with the home Test summer pushed back because of the World Cup, more than half of January will have already elapsed by the time the coin is tossed on Wednesday morning, with the venue also reverting to a day Test this summer.

While Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough said preparations had not changed significantly as a result of a red-ball being used rather than the pink one, he said the climate of the later summer was a recipe for more bounce in the wicket.

West Indies bowler Alzarri Joseph. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“It’s been it’s been a strange summer so we’ve had rain, some cooler weather, some more rain some hot days, some more rain,” Hough said on Monday.

“So we know that looking in January, the evaporation is higher so the temperatures are higher so we know that it will dry out. From a curator side of things, you’re going to get that real baking in the pitch (which) should get really rock hard which hopefully equates to better pace in the pitch.

“But obviously time will tell whether that equates to that. We’ve had a really good lead-in with the weather being able to get some good moisture throughout the pitch.”

While making the most of the situation, Hough backed in the SACA’s push for Adelaide Oval to return to its traditional pre-Christmas slot as Cricket Australia works to lock away the home Test schedule for the next seven years.

Josh Hazlewood at training in Adelaide. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“I’d love us to have the one just before Christmas every year, lock it in,” Hough said.

“We know what we’re getting, we’ve had it for years gone by. It works well. It’s a nice lead in towards Christmas and it sets us up really well from a selfish side of things and a groundsperson it works really well. We haven’t had a taxing summer yet. And we’ve got the ability to lock something in at the same time each year.”

This will be just the second day Test held at Adelaide Oval since day-night Test cricket began in 2015, and Hough said he would like to see both slots feature in the years to come.

“I think a mix both works well. I’m a traditionalist. So I really liked the day Test but I must admit I really enjoy the day-night as it adds a different element in that session and it’s exciting. It works here in Adelaide and it’s well received from the public and the SACA members so but there’s more important people making those decisions. We will just do whatever they throw at us, do our best.”

The Windies, who have brought a weakened squad to Australia, haven’t beaten the Aussies in a Test for more than two decades.

Originally published as Cricket 2024: West Indies face a harder challenge against Australia with unusually ‘bouncy’ Adelaide wicket