The situation creates an interesting standoff as the series moves to Ahmedabad for what shapes as a part cricket match part political rally with Indian PM Narendra Modi\u2019s appearance on the first day at the 132,000-seat stadium named in his honour. <\/p>\n
News Corp broke the news that 85,000 tickets have been set aside for \u201clocal families and students\u201d to celebrate the populist PM\u2019s appointment. <\/p>\n
Visiting Australian fans were told there were no tickets available for that day, but after work behind the scenes from the Australian government \u2013 Anthony Albanese is Modi\u2019s guest on the morning \u2013 tickets were released on Saturday for visiting Australians. <\/p>\n
Australia won in Indore after falling 2-0 behind in the first two Tests, it was only the third time a visiting team has overcome the hostile local conditions \u2013 and brilliant local spin bowling \u2013 in the past decade. <\/p>\n
Fans and broadcasters have been robbed of seven days out of a possible 15 days cricket with batsmen struggling in this compelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy. <\/p>\n
Australian coach Daniel Vettori said this week that batters were starting to think 30 was a good score. Only one, India\u2019s captain Rohit Sharma, has scored a century in the three Tests. <\/p>\n
The fall out from Indore has been significant and nobody is sure what sort of pitch will be prepared for the fourth Test, but an old fashioned Indian \u201croad\u201d would at least ensure an Indian win. <\/p>\n
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association\u2019s ground in Indore is under threat of suspension from hosting international cricket after it received a three-point demerit sanction from the ICC over the terrible wicket. <\/p>\n
The problem is, as MPCA president Abhilash Khandekar told local media, the venue which has only hosted three Tests, is not responsible for pitch preparation. <\/p>\n
\u201cTwo curators from BCCI had come eight to ten days before the match. The pitch was prepared under their supervision. The MPCA had no role in making the pitch,\u201d he told the Times of India. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make it clear that just like any other state board association in international matches, MPCA has no role in making the pitch. BCCI curators come and they get the direction from BCCI along with the Indian team management,\u201d <\/p>\n
The Gabba received a \u201cbelow average\u201d rating when attempts to create a lively pitch against South Africa at the venue this season went awry and the game was over in two days. <\/p>\n
While a green seamer is more to Australia\u2019s liking, the visitors on the that occasion had one of the better pace attacks in the world with a roster of bowlers including Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. <\/p>\n
Match referee Chris Broad slammed the Indore wicket.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface providing little or no seam movement and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Cricket expects spinning wickets in India and many have defended the Holkar pitch, including the MPCA boss.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as match finishing in three days is concerned, we have seen such of matches in Nagpur and Delhi also. There has been criticism of the pitch but if you will see the post-match conference, both captains have supported the pitch so we have nothing to add,\u201d Khandekar said. <\/p>\n
Australian coach Andrew McDonald labelled the conditions \u201cextreme\u201d but stand-in captain Steve Smith found an upside to the wicket when asked in public. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll the wickets have spun, we haven\u2019t gotten past three days yet so that shows that it\u2019s been spinning from day one in all the Test matches but I personally I really enjoyed playing on these kind of wickets,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer this than just a genuine flat wicket that goes five days and can be boring in stages. There\u2019s always something happening on these wickets. You\u2019ve got to really work hard for your runs. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s showed that the guys can do it. Guys can do it, you\u2019ve got to work hard for them and you need some luck. With this one, whether it might have been a little bit too extreme, potentially from the first ball. I\u2019m not really entirely sure, but it was still another enjoyable.\u201d <\/p>\n
Originally published as India v Australia Test series: Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association explains Indore pitch<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n