Its Only Cricket

Filed under Ind v Aus 3rd test Perth

WACA stands for Western Australia cricket association, and the ground (commonly termed as Perth) has a pitch known to add extra jump to every delivery that kisses it. Cricketers might still have to play good cricket to win a match here (bat first or second hardly matters), but arguably the fastest pitch in the world demands more application from batsmen than anywhere else!

They say its in the clay! In south of Western Australia - there's a place called Waroona from where curator Sam Sutherland imported the clay in a bid to regive the carry bowlers used to get at Waca pitch in seventies and nineties. This happened in March last year after Aus v Eng Ashes test match received complains from former Aussie cricketers like Terry Alderman who thought waca was losing its uniqueness by going slower & more batsmen friendly. Result : 5 pitches were relaid, 4 used for local first class matches which made batsmen's life hostile whereas 5th one was saved specially for India vs Australia third test match from 16th January 2008.

Last International match - Aus v NZ Twenty20 - offered plenty to Shaun Tait & Brett Lee who dished out some chin-music to arch-rivals kiwis. Once in 2000, a Queensland vs Western Australia match was abandoned for the Perth Pitch being too dangerous for the batsmen. counter view is that once Jaques Rudolph scored unbeaten century here when South Africa lost just 3 wickets on last day to draw the test match! WACA pitch, as Navjot Singh Sidhu says, breaks up big time towards the 4-5th day to develop carcks good enough for a thin man to go past it! Trouble is - test matches here at Perth are often finished before we reach last 2 days.

Curtors tend to leave good moisture content on the first day to bind the pitch together, but cut off all the grass so that no lateral movement is available for the seam bowlers.

Now Shane Warne had his worst record here than any other Australian cricket grounds. Home boy Adam Gilchrist averages over 60 here - showing cut/pull shots work wonders here at Perth. Will India play both Harbhajan and captain Kumble? or will they unleash tall Pankaj Singh or give all rounder Irfan Pathan another chance? Virendra Sehwag hit a century before lunch time in tour match against ACT XI, which means he can roll the arm over to spin it back into the right handers! Questions are too many, answers is you play good cricket and believe you can win..

India XI vs ACT XI : Practice match

Good little match building at Manuka Oval

Home team bat out Day 2 tour match

Why is WACA (Perth) cricket pitch so famous

Preview : 3rd test (Perth) to test both teams

Day 1 : no one ahead, none behind

Day 2 : Pratap & Pathan swing surprise search'of 17th

Day 3 : 348 runs to make, 8 wickets to take, 2 days to go

India deny Aussies their 17th, again & how