“We’ll find out in a week. [They] don’t listen to players, we would have liked to start in Brisbane too,” Starc said.
Atkinson, who has not played a Test in Australia, said the visitors had been done a favour by the schedule. This will be England’s first match at Perth Stadium, which was bypassed in the last series four years ago due Western Australia’s onerous biosecurity measures to deal with COVID-19.
“History would say it’s probably a good thing we’re not starting at the Gabba,” Atkinson said.
England are likely to be spared the fire and brimstone initiation in Perth that befell Australia and India 12 months ago when 17 wickets fell on a wild day one.
Perth Stadium curator Isaac McDonald began pitch preparation a day earlier to ensure this track will not have the same juice. He will aim to have the grass in between eight and 10 millimetres in length in accordance with previous seasons.
Loading
The deck was still sporting a healthy tinge of green on Wednesday, but there is expectation in the Australian camp of a more sporting surface to start this summer’s marquee series.
“There’s been a bit made of the colour of it, and it’s going to be a green mamba – I think it’s ready to go now,” Starc said.
McDonald said cracks will open later in the game, despite temperatures not expected to climb beyond the high 20s to bake the track.
“Every year we say the cracking will be there, that’s not going to change,” McDonald said. “What I’ve really knuckled down this preparation is ensuring that pace and bounce is spot on for day one to ensure that even battle.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.