India could slip through the cracks

Desperate to square a series that they thought they would win comfortably enough, India have taken an almighty gamble with the Green Park pitch. It's dehydratingly hot in Kanpur and the surface already looks like something from a documentary on drought-hit regions. Large cracks criss-cross the surface, and with very little watering, it remains to be seen how long it will hold together. The chances of another three-day finish a la Ahmedabad certainly can't be ruled out.

That though was a very different pitch, with a smattering of grass on it to bind it together, and India have only their own batting inadequacies and lack of application to blame for the humiliating innings-and-90-run defeat. And by going for grassy to cracked, they may be exposing themselves to another unwelcome examination by South African pace.

While the surface will undoubtedly help the spinners, I can't see too many batsmen queueing up to face Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini once the top starts to come loose. When up-and-down bounce becomes a pitch's defining characteristic, then the quick bowlers are as much a factor as any spinner. India are already without Sachin Tendulkar, and the rest didn't look too hot at the Motera Stadium last week.

With the batting needing a bit more beef, Irfan Pathan should make way for Yuvraj Singh. Given Yuvraj's lack of match practice, and his dire form in Australia, it would be a questionable call, but you really can't see India going in with just five specialist batsmen.

There's even more uncertainty on the bowling side. Anil Kumble will decide tomorrow morning whether his groin injury has recovered enough for him to play. If he doesn't, Mahendra Singh Dhoni should lead, and Ramesh Powar is favoured to come in to supplement Harbhajan Singh. Both Ishant Sharma, who missed the first two Tests, and Sreesanth bowled in the nets, but India may well opt for just one pace bowler [and Sourav Ganguly] in these conditions.

If that's the case, and Kumble can't play, the legspin mantle will pass on to Piyush Chawla, who has represented Uttar Pradesh a few times at this venue. Neither he not Powar have experienced this kind of challenge before, and South Africa will doubtless be confident enough to try and target them.

Mickey Arthur, their coach, suggested that the pitch could work against India as well, and they will most likely resist the temptation to play a second left-arm spinner in Robin Peterson. Ntini, Steyn and Morkel were a potent combination in Ahmedabad, and they could well have a nasty surprise or two for India in a game that could be cricket's answer to Russian Roulette.

Comments

[bunty]

of course, as i recall there was just one test at greenpark vs oz in 59-60 when the wicket actually deteriorated sharply; otherwise while greenpark uneven bounce gets bad and turns more, by day 5 its so slow that it ordinarily doesnt threaten a result and batsmen who play boring gritty cricket can survive- this is why more than anything else green park is associated with dull, boring cricket (odd knocks by vishy, azhar, kapil the exceptions)
but this time the cracks? what will happen? anyones guess. but dont completely rule out the possibility that due to slowing of an already slow pitch it isnt nearly quite so bad in the 4th innings as anticipated.

[Som]

India is already struggling to put together its pace attack. I just pray an Ishant Sharma or S Sreesanth does not slip through one of those yawning cracks, which seems to have written "Go to Hell" all over them.

I've not seen the Green Park track this time but when pitch dominates the debate, you know for sure there is somethings seriously wrong with it.

And in case it boomerangs on Kumble's men, they would have so much of eggs over their faces that they would hate omelette in their breakfast.

[King Cricket]

There's so much more intrigue when a pitch isn't flat.

While it may be trickier to call a winner from the outset, I think it'll reward the better team. In fact it'll probably make the difference between the two sides more pronounced.

[The Pav]

If the wicket does favour India to a great extent and they lose anyway what does that say about Indian cricket?

I don't have a problem with home teams having an advantage on the wickets but there should be a limit to how far they go.

If a tean wants credibility then they should win when the odds are against them not with "loaded dice"

If the wicket is so bad the test is over in three days then the spectators are being robbed