How many of these Aussie tracks have needed declarations in the last 10 years though? How many have seen routine first innings totals of over 450? I may be getting the wrong end of the stick.. but it seems to me that virtually every game that's played in Aus these days sees batsmen filling their boots at more than 3 an over.. a hundred runs being added to totals every session.. 300 hundred runs being added every day.. 1st inings totals of 550, 600, 650 or higher... and declarations to keep the game down to fewer than 10 days...

Maybe there are Aussie grounds where you routinely see fewer than 1000-1200 runs put on the board over the 5 days... where batsmen are scratching around, unable to time the ball... where cross bat shots would be suicidal.. where good technique to keep out the shooter is necessary.. where a Gary Kirsten is more important to your team than a Mark Waugh.. but I don't seem to hear of such games.

My impression remains that Test cricket in Aus is now a 4 day preamble (runfest with declarations) leading to a target being set for a run chase.. and then a ODI finish which is the only bit that really matters.

I must admit that I would prefer a pitch like the one that Sri Lanka prepared for one of the games against Aus last winter... where the ball was swinging and seaming like crazy for Zoysa and then cracked up mightily for the spinners by day 3-4... but if there's uneven bounce and movement off the seam then the lack of pace and swing shouldn't be a problem. At least the batsmen will have to work hard!