I want to give the teams a normal cricket wicket, one the guys can bat on, but which also rewards bowlers who can get it in the right areas.

I can’t take the risk of leaving too much moisture in the pitch. At this time of the year, one does not know how quickly it’s going to dry out.

The latest I’ve prepared pitches for a Test so late in the season has been mid-April. Weather conditions will definitely play a role.

I decided to produce my own pitch, which was similar to the one on which we played Australia four years ago.