Ahead of the Ashes Test series against England, Australia`s players have inspected the pitch at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia`s stand-in captain Steve Smith and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey were seen taking a look at the Perth pitch.
Smith will lead the Australian pack in the series opener of the much-anticipated Ashes Test series against the “Three Lions”. Captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the match as he is still recovering from his injury.
The first match of the Ashes Test series between Australia and England is scheduled to be played from November 21.
With four days still to go for the first ball of the Ashes opener, the pitch has a noticeable green tinge and an even grass cover. Yet, with Perth`s temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius over the next couple of days, the surface will likely dry out as the week progresses.
Former Australia Test captain Greg Chappell wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald that Australia should prepare for a Perth surface that “boasts a reputation built on sheer pace and bounce”.
“The strip here is pure energy, where the ball flies with a velocity unmatched anywhere else,” Chappell wrote.
Additionally, the Aussies had a tough outing last time they played a Test match in Perth. They faced a defeat by 295 runs against Team India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The match saw the Australian batting lineup struggle while Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli scored sublime centuries.
Australia will hold their first training session on Monday afternoon after arriving in Perth on Sunday. Meanwhile, England`s squad has been given a day off following last week`s practice match against the Lions at Lilac Hill.
Notably, England will enter the series with a forgettable 13-0 record against the Aussies down under since their last win back in 2010/11. Led by Ben Stokes, they will look to break the record against an experienced Australian lineup.
The Ashes: Full Squads
Australia`s squad (first Test only): Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
England`s squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
(With ANI Inputs)