Australians training on pitches that replicate Sri Lankan conditions

Australia have already begun preparations for their tour to Sri Lanka in July and any future tours to the subcontinent, as they have created a spin-friendly wicket to help players get accustomed to the foreign conditions.

Players who are likely to make the cut for the team have started their training in a specially-crafted pitch in the BUPA National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

The pitch has been created using clay-based soil extracted from a region three hours away from the capital. Expectedly the conditions aren’t replicated perfectly, but both batters and bowlers have praised the innovative measure.

Australian opener Joe Burns, who got a taste of the pitch against seamers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, described it as ‘a great resource’, while offie Nathan Lyon was equally excited by his experience.

“It's quite close to a splash of Mohali and Chennai, I know they've tried to replicate Chennai but it's a good wicket and here in Australia it's probably as close as we're going to get to a subcontinent wicket,” Lyon said.

“I know Steve O'Keefe and I really enjoyed bowling on it and Pete Nevill had a good hit, and was keeping to us on it as well. So it's ticked a box so far.”

Burns was in agreement with his teammate, saying: “I had my first hit on it yesterday, and from what I've played on in India I thought it was a great representation of playing on the subcontinent.” 

“It looks like an Indian wicket and seemed to play like an Indian wicket, so for me personally it's a great resource to have in Brisbane given that I live in Brisbane,” Burns told cricket.com.au.

“So to be able to come in as much as I can and train in those conditions, it's the best possible training I can think of as opposed to going to India or going to Sri Lanka and training before the Test matches. I've never been to Sri Lanka, but I've played a little bit in India and I really enjoy playing in those conditions.”