IND vs AUS 1st Test: Optus Stadium pitch report, Perth weather on Nov 22

India will face Australia in the first match of their five-match Test series at Perth Stadium, marking the venue's fifth Test encounter. India’s previous outings at this ground have been less than memorable, losing in the 2018 Test and suffering a defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup match where Lungi Ngidi dominated on a pitch offering pace and bounce. Coming off a heavy 3-0 loss to New Zealand, India will be without some key players, including captain Rohit Sharma as well.    Check IND vs AUS 1st Test Day 2 LIVE SCORE AND MATCH UPDATES HERE  

   

IND vs AUS 1st Test Perth pitch report

 

Last summer, Pakistan was dismissed for just 89 in the fourth innings at Perth in only 30.2 overs, with the pitch offering significant bounce and variable behaviour. However, the Optus Stadium pitch curator, Isaac McDonald, confirmed on November 20 that the pitch won’t reach that extreme condition for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener due to weather conditions.  

 

"I don't think this weather is going to make this pitch fall apart," he said. "There'll be some deterioration. Grass will stand up during the game and offer that variable bounce. But in terms of big-snake WACA cracks, unfortunately, I don't think the weather's going to get us there."  

 

McDonald explained that his team had limited time to prepare the pitch, as it was covered all day on Tuesday. He noted that this would help prevent excessive cracking. While the wicket is expected to favour fast bowlers, testing the technique of the batters, McDonald mentioned that the goal was to strike a balance between bat and ball. He pointed out that, as shown by players like David Warner and Mitchell Marsh last year, runs are still achievable if the batters apply themselves.  

 

All in all, the pitch could justify the 'fast and furious' tag it has been getting ahead of the series, eventually giving fans some good cricketing action on the day. 

 

Perth weather forecast on November 22

 

Rain is expected to affect the opening day and the toss on Friday, November 22, with some showers already occurring in Perth leading up to the first Test. Forecasts predict a 25 per cent chance of rain on the first day of the match. The weather at Optus Stadium will be conducive to fast bowling, as the showers are expected to occur in the morning.  

 

After the first day, the likelihood of rain in Perth is minimal, aside from the morning on Day 1. While there may be some cloud cover, the weather is not expected to disrupt the game.

 

Optus Stadium key stats: How visiting fared in Perth's new stadium Perth's Optus Stadium started hosted matches since 2017. India played one match at the venue and failed to win in 2018. 

Australia and other visiting teams’ record at Perth’s Optus Stadium
Team	Span	Mat	Won	Lost	Draw	Tied	Tie+W	Tie+L	NR
Australia	2018-2023	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
India	2018-2018	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
New Zealand	2019-2019	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Pakistan	2023-2023	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
West Indies	2022-2022	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0

 

Past performances on Perth pitches

 The December 2022 Test against Pakistan highlighted the challenges of Perth's fiery pitch. Pakistan was bundled out for 89 in the second innings, leading to a massive 360-run victory for Australia. The surface developed cracks as the match progressed, with even batters like Marnus Labuschagne suffering blows on their hands.

 

Australia’s pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc exploited the conditions to claim 12 of Pakistan’s 20 wickets, underlining the threat posed by pace on this ground.