Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report For The 2nd AUS vs WI Test

image-lrrffw15Gabba is known for its pace and bounce [X.com]

After hammering the tourists in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval, Australia moved to The Gabba in Brisbane for the D/N pink-ball second Test of the Frank Worrell Trophy against the West Indies, starting Thursday (January 25). 

The mighty hosts strive to retain their dominance over the Calypso Kings and not only secure another series whitewash but also finish with a clean slate for the Test match this summer, including a 3-0 win over Pakistan.

For the Caribbean men, it's another opportunity to showcase their raw talent after they failed to provide a good account of themselves in a three-day mauling in Adelaide outside maybe half-centurion Kirk McKenzie and spirited debutant seamer Shamar Joseph.

The Gabba Pitch Report 

If Australia win, they will continue their unbeaten streak over the Calypso Kings. The Aussies haven't lost a Test match against the West Indies since their 2003 trip to the Caribbean. West Indies' last win Down Under goes back even further, when they clinched a victory during the 1997 tour. 

Two generations of players and fans haven't seen West Indies taste success in Australian conditions, and the record seems unlikely to change when the two teams collide at the intimidating Gabba fortress for the Aussies, which has only been breached once in the last 32 years. 

Before India's famous' series-sealing win at the iconic venue in the 2020-21 summer, it was the West Indies who defeated the Australians here during the 1988-89 season with their great fast bowlers, who relished the ground's steep bounce and hostility. 

Nothing much has changed over decades about the pitch conditions at the Gabba. It still produces alarming bounce and pace off the deck for the pacers, who, if asked, would love to play every Test match in Australia in Brisbane only. 

Expect the ground to retain its natural characteristics when the West Indies try to upstage the Aussies again this week, with Australia's menacing battery of quicks sensing blood with the skiddy pink ball in their ruthless avatar against inexperienced and unstable Caribbean batters. 

The bounce and lift at the venue would also bring off-spinner Nathan Lyon into the game, as he can impart his overspin and fetch bat-pad catches. 

If the Test match goes deep, there will be some wear and tear on the surface as well, and that would once again help the tall Aussie quicks find an uneven bounce with venom off the good-length region.