Now, Aussies 'copy' Indian pitches

CHENNAI: Australia's massive defeat to Pakistan in UAE last year has prompted Cricket Australia (CA) to build subcontinental-style pitches at the Brisbane-based National Cricket Centre (NCC). The team's batsmen and spinners -who have struggled to perform on subcontinent tracks -are hoping to benefit immensely from the new measures.
These 'hybrid tracks', as they are being called, is the brainchild of Dubai's International Global Cricket Academy curator Tony Hemming, an Australian.A hybrid pitch is extremely spin friendly and the estimated cost of preparing one is A$11,000.
These pitches are made of synthetic turf glued on to a concrete slab, with a layer of black soil on top. Water is sprinkled on it and clusters of red hybrid grass allowed to grow through the broken soil to produce unpredictable variation.
"We prepared it last year. The hybrid pitch has been of great help so far. Though it's not exactly like the subcontinent, it is pretty close to it," Troy Cooley , NCC chief coach, told TOI.
"Our boys grow up on fast and bouncy tracks in Australia. We've got to do things differently to produce quality spinners. We've consulted curators from the subcontinent. We want our next generation of players to play good, competitive cricket in all conditions," Cooley, here with rookie Australian bowlers for a camp organised by MRF Pace Foundation, added.
"While batting on these pitches, the ball doesn't bounce at all. The new generation of batsmen are learning how to use their feet and counter the unpredictable nature of such tracks," Cooley added.