The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has seen the playing surfaces attract far more attention than the performance of players and that trend continued on the eve of the series deciding fourth Test in Ahmedabad, which begins on Thursday.
Australia bounced back in style in the Indore Test to make it 2-1 with a nine-wicket win inside three days on a raging turner in Indore, sealing a spot in the World Test Championships final and putting the pressure back on India.
The hosts will now be wary of exposing their batsmen to more trial by spin against Nathan Lyon and Co, while pursuing victory at the 132,000 capacity Narendra Modi Stadium, which would hand them a ticket to the showpiece event in June.
The intrigue surrounding the pitch refused to die down before the final Test, with the ground curator preparing two adjacent pitches simultaneously in the build-up to the game.
It was only when Australia and India began their final training session on Wednesday that the mystery was finally over.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith said he had never experienced such mystery around a match pitch.
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Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja celebrate Holi ahead of the Ahmedabad Test. Photo: @virat.kohli / Instagram -
Rohit Sharma celebrates Holi with the Indian team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Photo: @BCCI / Twitter -
Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Kuldeep Yadav celebrate Holi. Photo: @surya_14kumar / Instagram -
Indian team members celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad. Photo: @BCCI / Twitter -
Suryakumar Yadav with the Indian team in Ahmedabad. Photo: @BCCI / Twitter -
Rohit Sharma with Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Photo: @surya_14kumar / Instagram -
Indian players celebrate Holi in the team bus. Photo: @rohitsharma45 / Instagram
"Yeah rocked up today and there was only one covered so yeah looks like they have chosen," said Smith.
"Looks like probably of the four wickets we've seen so far, potentially the flattest on day one. Having said that, it's I think 38 degrees out there at the moment, it's pretty hot. Looks like it'll dry out as the day goes on."
Smith will lead Australia again in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who flew home after the second match in Delhi to be with his ailing mother in Sydney.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with back-to-back wins in Nagpur and Delhi but Smith says levelling the series would feel like victory.
"It'd be a huge achievement for the group, or any touring team that comes here to India and wins two Test matches," Smith said.
The largest attendance for a single day of Test cricket is 91,112 – a record set during the fourth game between Australia and England in Melbourne during the 2013-14 Ashes series.
That could be broken on Thursday when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese attend the opening hour of play.
