It would be a good toss to lose: Paine

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It would be a good toss to lose: Paine

Friday, 14 December 2018 | PTI | Perth

It will be a good toss to lose, said Australian captain Tim Paine on eve of the second Test against India, considering the grassy nature of the pitch and extreme hot weather.

"Yeah it will be I reckon (good toss to lose). Actually, I spoke to the curator about it this morning. I really don't think the pitch will play that badly," said Paine ahead of the inaugural Test at the Optus Stadium.

"With the heat it will probably break up and you will see cracks in the game. It is what it is and whatever you are doing tomorrow morning you need to start really well."

While India made a couple key changes to their eleven owing to injuries, Australia have named an unchanged side for this second Test. Paine acknowledged that India could field an all-pace attack and added that Australia have done their home work.

He expects India to come hard at the hosts and achieve something special in Perth.

"They have new guys coming in. We have spoken about it, but we have concentrated over their whole squad over the last few weeks so we know their strengths and weaknesses. Again it is about putting it together on the field, and whatever eleven they put on the park, they will come hard they are prepared well and they have a sniff of something special (2-0). So we will have to be right on our game from ball one," he said.

Along with an unchanged side, Australia will also field an unchanged batting line-up with Aaron Finch once again set to open. The skipper said that his players needed to back their strengths if they are to make a comeback in this series, and backed Mitchell Starc to come up against all the criticism since the first Test.

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