Sydney Cricket Ground is one of the best batting tracks in Australia. Generally been on the drier side where even the spinners play a role, perhaps it is due to the same reason that Pakistan have added spinner Sajid Khan to their Playing XI for the imminent third Test match against Australia. However, there’s a lot of suspense around the pitch this time around.
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During the off-season, a couple of new pitches with different types of grass were laid at the SCG. During one of the two Sheffield Shield 2023/24 match here, 24 wickets had fallen on the same day. Across both the matches, pacers dominated the proceedings. Ahead of the last match of the series, Australia captain Pat Cummins also confirmed the presence of grass covering on the pitch.
“Few slight changes this year. It looks like a decent coverage of grass so it should be a good week ahead. I know they were tinkering with a new grass, it’s a bit different than a Test wicket and the Test grass they have this week. Everyone said they’re pretty happy with where it’s at,” Cummins told reporters.
The ‘mystery’ test pitch at the SCG.
The square was completely relaid in the off-season with 2 different types of grass. This pitch has ‘Santa Ana Couch’ like the Adelaide oval.
The Shield has been played on different pitches so it really is a mystery how this will play. pic.twitter.com/yVya6BwOj3— Menners (@amenners) January 1, 2024
The average first-innings total at this venue is 319 runs, whereas the average fourth-innings score is 171. All in all, it has been one of those stadiums where batting first has been the trend ideally.
Sydney Cricket Ground Test Records
Australia co-vice-captain Steven Smith loves batting in Sydney Tests. He has scored 1,017 runs at an average of 72.64 with the help of four centuries and seven half-centuries across 15 innings. In fact, Smith is the sixth-highest run-scorer in Tests played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
David Warner (793) and Usman Khawaja (785), Australian opening batters, have also done very well here. Only current Pakistani player to have played in a Sydney Test in the past, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam had flopped on the back of scoring 0 (4) and 9 (11) seven years ago.
Talking about the bowlers, Australia spinner Nathan Lyon is the fifth-highest Test wicket-taker at the SCG with his 44 wickets in 22 innings coming at an average of 40.72. Pacers Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have scalped 25 wickets each. None of the Pakistani bowlers in the current setup has every played a Test here.
Over the years, Australia have hosted Pakistan eight times at this stadium. While the hosts have won five Tests, two out of Pakistan’s four Test wins in Australia have come here. Pakistan, who haven’t won a Test at this venue since 1995, will be playing one for the first time since 2017.
Highest Test Run Chase At The Sydney Cricket Ground
| S No. | Team | Score | Opoosition | Year |
| 1 | India | 705/7d | Australia | 2004 |
| 2 | Australia | 659/4d | India | 2012 |
| 3 | Australia | 659/8d | England | 1946 |
| 4 | Australia | 649/7d | England | 2018 |
| 5 | England | 644 | Australia | 2011 |
The highest successful run-chase at the Sydney Cricket Ground had come way back in 2006 when Australia had chased a 287-run target against South Africa. Having won the match by 8 wickets, it wouldn’t have been possible without former captain Ricky Ponting scoring 143* (159) at a strike rate of 89.93 on the final day.
