Before departing for New Delhi for the second Test, Pat Cummins’ team had planned to practise there in order to become more familiar with Nagpur’s VCA Stadium. However, local curators derailed their plans, leaving Australia furious at India’s “pathetic” behaviour.
Australia was humiliated by India in the opening test of the Border-Gavaskar series, losing in Nagpur by an innings and 123 runs. The defeat brought to light Australia’s difficulty dealing with spin. Before departing for New Delhi for the second Test, the Pat Cummins-led team had planned to do a practise session at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium in an effort to recover. However, local curators derailed their intentions, leaving Australia’s greatest player Ian Healy furious at India’s “pathetic” behaviour and pleading with the ICC to step in.
The fact that our preparations to conduct some practise sessions on that Nagpur wicket were derailed is quite embarrassing, Healy added. That is simply not good for cricket, and it is not good. Here, the ICC must intervene. It’s awful and has to get better that they watered the wicket informally when it was requested for practise.
In the meantime, Australia substituted left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann for Mitchell Swepson, who left for home to give birth to his first child, just after the first Test.
Beginning on February 17, the second Test will take place.