Indian pitches are difficult to predict. Even Gods refrain from doing so simply because you never know how they will behave on D-day. Analysts and observers have made their points about the centre wicket at the historical Brabourne Stadium, but no one knows what the 22-yard strip — for the third and last Test between India and Sri Lanka beginning here on Wednesday — actually has on offer.
As usual, the curators promised ‘sporting tracks’ for the first and second Tests at Ahmedabad and Kanpur respectively. The phrase has been used and abused to no end and well, neither of the wickets was even close to ‘sporting’.
For the third Test match, experts have come out with different opinions. Some predict that it is going to be ‘sporting’ (again!) wicket, some say it will be unpredictable and a few
believe it is going to favour the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh.
Test cricket has returned to the picturesque venue after more than three decades and hence, it won’t be easy to predict the nature of a pitch which has been rarely used. The local or domestic matches here are played on the side pitches. During the 2006 Champions Trophy, the wickets here faced a lot of wrath for their slowness.
However, Milind Rege, CCI’s cricket-in charge, promises a sporting track calling it a “true Test wicket.”
“There will be bounce and pace at the start and as the game progresses, the spinners will get some help. Batsmen will also enjoy batting here as it is a true wicket,” the former Mumbai skipper added.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had nothing extraordinary to say on match-eve. “It looks like a normal Mumbai track with the same soil, of course. There will be a bit of bounce for the fast bowlers and as the game progresses, you will see the spinners coming into action. They will get a bit of turn and bounce, and that is what they love most,” Dhoni said.
“The first session will be crucial and that is when the seamers will get a bit of help. The seamers will come in to play in the evening too because during this time of the year, you can swing it maybe in the last half hour,” he added.
BCCI chief curator Daljeet Singh, who was at the CCI, said, “Though the wicket has not been used for quite some time, it looks good with something for the bowlers initially. It is a good wicket.”
Hope the pitch is not a mystery and plays true to its claims.
Brabourne Bytes
A tale of two offies
One was working hard on the field and the other was cooling his heels in the hotel.
Harbhajan Singh and Muttiah Muralitharan have not had a great time bowling on the batsmen-friendly wickets so far in the series but one could see the seriousness to get back to his wicket-taking ways in Muralitharan’s actions. He was seen sweating it out even an hour after the team’s official net session on Tuesday. On the other hand, the Turbanator was resting in his hotel room. “It was an optional session and he did not have to attend the nets,” India skipper MS Dhoni said justifying Harbhajan’s absence.
Wanted: Spectators
The Brabourne Stadium will be hosting a Test after 36 years but the question in everyone’s mind is how many will be thronging the ground. The India-Sri Lanka Test doesn’t seem to have enthused too many people. On the eve of the match, the tickets were easily available at the venue. MS Dhoni himself was curious to know the response.
“It is a great venue and I’m looking forward to the match. But we will have to see how many people will be coming to watch,” the India skipper said. Dhoni had an answer from a CCI official, who said, “It is a pity that not many people seem to be interested in real cricket.”
Cricket darshan
The Mumbai Cricket Association will be giving seasonal passes to city’s top eight schools which will be playing the Harris Shield tournament. “We will be giving away passes to the players of top eight schools. I think this is how we can keep them hooked and interested in the traditional format of the game. Sachin Tendulkar always believed that aspiring youngsters and students should be given an opportunity to watch the Test matches so that they can develop interest in the longer format of the game,” MCA secretary Lalchand Rajput said.
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