Gabba curator hints at "traditional pace and bounce" for third Test

Gabba’s pitch curator, David Sandurski, has said that the venue hosting a pre-Christmas Test match will help him create a traditional pitch for the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test starting on Saturday (December 14). 

"Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them,” Sandurski said ahead of the third Test between Australia and India. 

"Different times of year definitely makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch.

Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” he added. 

The Gabba, Brisbane's premier cricketing venue, is where Australia conceded the home series against India in the 2020/21 season, with that clash being played in January. It was the first time Australia lost a Test at Gabba since 1988. 

Three years later, in 2024, Australia lost to the West Indies at Gabba in another Test played here in January. Overall, Australia's only two Test defeats in Brisbane have come in January. Gabba has mostly hosted Tests in the pre-Christmas slot when the pitches are fresher and have more pace and bounce to test the touring batters. 

Sandurski also mentioned that the pitch is more likely to resemble the only Sheffield Shield game played here this season – between Victoria and Queensland in late November. It was a Pink Ball fixture which Victoria clinched by 90 runs. As many as 15 wickets fell on the first day before Victoria batters dug in the second innings to score 439 in the second innings. However, that was the only innings with a 300-plus total in the match. 

"The aim is to be similar to that wicket where there was a good balance between bat and ball. Hopefully, there is a bit in it for everyone,” Sandurski said. 

The series is levelled 1-1, with India winning in Perth by 295 runs and Australia making a comeback with a 10-wicket win in Adelaide. 

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