'Nice and firm': Pat Cummins on MCG pitch ahead of Boxing Day Test

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Dec 25, 2024, 10:08 IST

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Australian captain Pat Cummins describes the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch ahead of the Fourth Test as 'nice and firm' with some grass coverage. The match between Australia and India is crucial for the ICC World Test Championship final. Spinner Nathan Lyon could benefit from the wicket.

'Nice and firm': Pat Cummins on MCG pitch ahead of Boxing Day Test

Pat Cummins during a press conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch appears "nice and firm" with a "bit of grass coverage" ahead of the fourth Test match against India in Melbourne, according to Australian captain Pat Cummins, who also mentioned that spinner Nathan Lyon would benefit from it.
Both teams will play the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test with the aim of securing the crucial series lead required to make a case for the ICC World Test Championship final, since the series is already tied at one.

Pat Cummins reveals Australia's XI for Boxing Day Test

Speaking ahead of the game in a pre-match presser, Cummins said about the pitch, "Pitch looks really good, quite consistent to what it has here for the last few years, I think, you know, a bit of grass coverage, feels nice and firm, so they (curators) have done a great job here for, you know, probably the last five, six years, their pitches and I suspect the same this year."

The captain also acknowledged that it could be "hot" to bowl in temperatures as high as 39 degrees.
Cummins described the wicket as "well-balanced" in his subsequent remarks.
"Nathan Lyon has had some success here, certainly plays a role, so yeah, would not be surprised if there's a little bit on-off for spin," he concluded.

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