Brisbane: Following their defeat at the Adelaide Oval, the Indian team will likely welcome the opportunity to play at the Gabba. Upon their arrival, they will be reminded of their previous visit, during which they became the first team to defeat the hosts at this venue since 1988.

The unpredictable bounce at the Gabba presents challenges for batsmen, yet India drew inspiration from the young duo of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, leading them to a memorable victory. As they seek motivation, the team must also acknowledge the significance of momentum in the upcoming third Test, set to commence on Saturday.

Unfavourable weather conditions in Brisbane have left uncertainty regarding the pitch's condition; however, the fresher surface resulting from an early-season match is likely to be advantageous for the Australians.

“Different times of the year make a difference; it can be a slightly different pitch,” stated Gabba curator David Sandursk on Wednesday.

“Pitches later in the season may exhibit more wear and tear, while those early in the season tend to be fresher and may offer more assistance.

“Generally, we prepare the pitch in the same manner each time to ensure the good carry, pace, and bounce that the Gabba is renowned for. Our goal is to create a traditional Gabba wicket as we do annually.”

Australia typically performs better on the fresher wickets before Christmas, having lost only 7 out of 61 Tests during this period. In contrast, their performance post-Christmas has been markedly poorer, with the hosts losing 3 out of 5 Tests, including matches against India (beginning January 15, 2021) and West Indies (January 24, 2024).

However, Sandursk emphasizes that this pitch will not resemble the one that led to South Africa's defeat in just two days in 2022. He believes it will be more akin to the surface used in the Sheffield Shield match held in November.

On the opening day of that pink-ball contest between Victoria and Queensland, 15 wickets fell. The pitch later stabilized, allowing batters to accumulate significant runs, although the new ball proved challenging.

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