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ShareWith the wicket at Nagpur's new stadium looking far from lively, it surely will be no daunting task for the Indians to maintain their 1-0 lead by at the time this Test draws to a close. And, why not. All over, it's the prerogative of the hosts to prepare wickets that suit the home team.
Nevertheless, whenever a Test was played at Nagpur in the recent past, the wicket always sported some grass, which made it an even contest. At times, it did help visiting bowlers like, for instance, when India played Australia in 2004 and got beaten, prompting Glenn McGrath to say that the conditions were close to those he encounters back home. But then, times have changed and, I guess, so too the nature of the wicket.
It would be an ideal strip for Sourav Ganguly, playing his last Test match, to go out with a bang. And for VVS Laxman, who is turning out for his 100th Test, to come good. Besides, of course, it would be a great opportunity for Rahul Dravid who is the only one who has not been among runs in this series, to get a big one under his belt.
Be that as it may, in this series the Australians, despite their limitations in the bowling department, have displayed tremendous grit and the will to fight. It's never easy to go in with only one spinner, thinking the Indians could be forced on to the back foot by the new ball bowlers. The Indian batsmen would never have sleepless nights, considering the quality of fast bowlers the visitors have in their rank. The wickets too did not help Lee & Co, making them sweat for hours with little success.
Now, with Gambhir banned for this Test match, it would be a great opportunity for Badrinath (if they make Rahul Dravid open the innings), or for new entrant Murali Vijay (who can also open the innings). With both hailing from Tamil Nadu, it will be a toss-up between two teammates who've been heavy scorers in the Ranji Trophy over the past couple of years.
With Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli, not to mention the out-of-form Yuvraj Singh and Mohamad Kaif not considered as replacement for Gambhir, the new selection committee must have been mighty impressed with M Vijay for him to score over proven ones.
