Bowlers to have a chance in Adelaide Test

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Mitch Starc

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Adelaide Oval head curator Damian Hough is confident he has prepared a pitch that will give Australia and New Zealand bowlers plenty of encouragement for the historic first day-night Test.

The drawn second Test at the WACA was a run-fest after an opening game of the series at the Gabba which included five centuries in batting-friendly conditions.

Batsmen will have to adapt to facing a pink ball for the first time in a Test in the third and final game of the series, which starts on Friday.

And Hough revealed that the wicket ought to bring more of a balance between bat and ball.

"Leaving a bit of grass on it, we're hoping it will assist the quicks and the ball will come onto the bat nicely," he said.

"But having a bit of a coarse, thatchy grass should hopefully, going on the two games we have had so far and the pink ball [Sheffield[ Shield matches, it should be able to bite into that grass and get some spin."

Cricket Australia head of operations Sean Cary is optimistic that Hough has come up with a surface that should make for an entertaining spectacle. 

"This match is three years in the making from an Australian cricket perspective," he told ESPNcricinfo.

"We've had the three rounds of Sheffield Shield cricket and we've tried to come up with the best conditions that are going to not impact the balance between bat and ball.

"We don't want either the bat or the ball to be in favour, but what we've done with Damian Hough, and he's worked diligently in his wicket preparation, is to make sure the surrounds are favourable to the ball not being scuffed up as much.

"We're confident that what he's learned from the last two Shield rounds, one day-night, one natural-light Shield round, the feedback he's got from the captains – including Steve Smith, the current Australian captain – is that they've been really complimentary towards his wickets and they've said, 'we'd love to have this sort of wicket for a Test match'."

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