The second India-Australia Test begins on Friday at the new Perth Stadium, which has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals, and which has a drop-in pitch.
So what makes the drop-in pitch special or different from the traditional one?
Drop-in pitches are portable ones that are ‘dropped in’ by a crane into the ground. The surface is not prepared on the ground but is prepared in a skeletal piece and then the turf is laid into the ground.
Apart from this, however, in essence they are similar to traditional pitches in how they behave.
Blair Christiansen, the turf manager of Eden Park Stadium in Auckland, told the Indian Express in an interview in 2014 that “drop-in pitches have the same soil, same grass, same dimensions, same depth of soil. It’s just that they are portable”.
Also, drop-in pitches are mostly used at multi-sport grounds where rugby and football are also played.
The pitch at the 60,000-seater Optus Stadium, as it is also known, is expected to play on the lines of the traditional WACA pitch -- which means there will be lots of pace and bounce in the offing.
According to cricket.com.au, the captain who wins the toss on Friday will be tempted to bowl first but will have to practise caution as the pitch could deteriorate by day 4 or 5 of the Test.
