ODI World Cup 2023: Flexible Australia prepares for the unknowable in Lucknow

When Australia national team takes on South Africa on October 12 at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes his team is prepared to accept the unknown.

After the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), the pitches at the Lucknow stadium were dug up due to the curator’s dismissal following a low-scoring T20I match between India and New Zealand in January. Australia will be adaptable on the freshly built surface, according to Maxwell.

“It’s a little unknown here; I believe they tore up the entire field and began fresh after the IPL. India also played the Kiwis in a T20 match here earlier in the year, and they struggled to chase down, I believe, 99. With that in mind, I believe the entire stadium will be given a fresh start; just show up on the big day to see how it looks, according to Maxwell, as stated by ESPNcricinfo.

He continued by saying that Australia was fortunate to have two straight games in Lucknow. At the same stadium, the Pat Cummins-led team will play Sri Lanka following the contest against the Proteas.

“We are ready for all circumstances that may arise during the upcoming games. Let’s say we’re fortunate enough to have two consecutive games in Lucknow, in which case we can examine these circumstances, he continued.

He went on to say that each condition in India is different. He also discussed the Chennai surface, saying that they believe they handled the ball quite well on the spin-friendly field.

“When you visit India, you will encounter a wide range of diverse playing conditions, including flat wickets that don’t bounce and dry wickets that turn significantly. We believe that we have put ourselves through a lot of testing in training, and we feel prepared to take on any obstacle. The other day, we faced a very strong bowling lineup. We felt like we had enough opportunities with the ball, the all-around player continued.