MCG curator Matt Page on Monday dismissed allegations of providing subpar practice pitches to India ahead of the Boxing Day Test, clarifying that it is "standard procedure" to prepare fresh pitches only three days prior to a Test match.

Meanwhile, the Indian team opted for a rest day following two rigorous practice sessions. However, captain Rohit Sharma faced an injury concern during the second session when a throwdown struck his left knee. Pacer Akash Deep also sustained a hit on his hand while batting and voiced some dissatisfaction with the practice pitches, commenting, "The ball was keeping a bit low at times. They look like white-ball pitches.”

Page admitted as much, saying, “For us, three days out, we prepare pitches for here. If teams come and play before that, they get what pitches we've had. So today, we're on fresh pitches (Australia had an optional practice session). If India had trained this (Monday) morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches. It's stock standard procedure for us, three days out.”

MCG curator Matt Page addressed concerns about India's practice pitches, confirming their schedule had been shared two months in advance. When questioned about adjusting procedures, he said, “Yes, they gave us the schedule. There has been correspondence between CA and the Indian board, and the extent of those conversations, I don't know.”

Amid preparations for the Boxing Day Test, parts of the Australian media attempted to ignite controversies around the Indian camp. Virat Kohli faced criticism for stopping a reporter from filming his children, while Ravindra Jadeja was called out for not answering questions in English. Former cricketer Simon Katich added to the discussion, suggesting India might be playing “mind games.”

“Obviously, there's been a few things unfolding in the last week or so that haven't gone down well at that (India) camp. It's probably just the mind games being played, given the enormity of this series,” Katich remarked.

Speaking about the Test pitch, Page described it as a "rinse and repeat job," designed to offer pace, bounce, and carry, though not as "lively" as earlier Sheffield Shield tracks. “In 2017, we sat down as an organisation and discussed where we wanted to go... It gives bowlers a chance to come into the game but also batters if they play well. All quick bowlers get excited when they come here now, although it's not as quick as Perth or Brisbane, but we've managed to get some pace on it,” he explained. 

However, he admitted the pitch doesn’t favour spinners, saying, “It doesn't really break for spinners. If you see long-format games over the last four to five years, it has been more seam-friendly than spin.”

With temperatures expected to soar past 40°C on Boxing Day, Page assured that preparations were under control. “It’s been factored in. As we know with Melbourne, the weather can change quite quickly. It might quicken up more than it would if it was 20 degrees. Whether we'll leave a bit more moisture in it, I can't say at this stage,” he added.