Langer’s hope for lively track looks forlorn

CRICKET: Australia coach Justin Langer hopes the SCG pitch for the final Test against India is not flat, but recent evidence suggests he may be dreaming.

A frustrated Tim Paine criticised the MCG deck after the third Test, saying it handed India an advantage that Australia rarely enjoyed when they toured the subcontinent.

All eyes are now on the SCG wicket, where India’s pursuit of their first Test series win in Australia resumes tomorrow.

Australia fear a spin-friendly pitch will play into India’s hands but if this season is anything to go by it will be more of a batsman’s paradise.

Both Sheffield Shield games in Sydney this season were drawn, with 10 wickets falling in just one of the seven innings.

A total of 3116 runs at 46.5 per wicket were scored at the SCG across those matches plus India’s drawn tour game that preceded the four-Test series.

That ratio is even more lopsided than the much-maligned MCG’s docile drop-in deck, which had produced 2772 runs at 30.5 in first-class games prior to the Boxing Day Test.

Langer suggested conditions would dictate the Australian line-up but wasn’t sure what to expect in Sydney.

“It’s been a bit inconsistent,” he said. “It was very flat (for India’s tour game) and it was very flat in the Sheffield Shield game there a few weeks ago.

“We certainly hope it’s not (flat). You want to see a contest between bat and ball.”

Pitches have provided plenty of talking points throughout the series, which the visitors lead 2-1. The lack of pace and bounce on offer in Adelaide and Melbourne prompted Paine to detail how he was frustrated and disappointed with wickets that had “taken away from our strengths”.

Langer wasn’t as forthright but made it clear he would like to see more bounce on offer.

“All I’d say is all the years we’ve gone to India, we haven’t had too many bouncy wickets – it usually spins square,” he said.