The battleground for the third Test between India and Australia was all dressed up on Monday as the two teams had a net session in front of a near-capacity crowd. The oranges will surely come out when it gets a little hotter, but the flavours of Nagpur, a friendly city tucked in the rain-shadow region of Maharashtra, were alive.
The Indians are heartened by the return of Sachin Tendulkar, but they may not like what matters the most: the wicket for the Test. It looks too 'live' for comfort. In fact, India's skipper Sourav Ganguly tried to talk the curator into making it more spinner-friendly, but, as he put it, "it doesn't look like he's done much".
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"I did that. I gave him a call on the 20th from Kolkata. Obviously, our strength is the spinners. But how to prepare the pitch is up to him. I can only make a request. The curator has his own ideas; he says the pitch will spin as well. So we will go by what he says," said Ganguly on the eve of the Test.
But Kishore Pradhan says he has prepared a sporting track, with very good bounce.
"I do as my president [of the Vidarbha Cricket Association] tells me. We did cut the grass yesterday [Sunday] and now there will be no more changes," he affirmed.
India coach John Wright is not sure how the wicket will play, since it is the first time a Test is being staged at the venue since the pitch was re-laid in 2002.
India last played a One-Day International against the West Indies at the venue in 2002, which the tourists won.
"India couldn't cope with the fast and bouncy track then," informed Pradhan.
Australia captain Adam Gilchrist feels the wicket looks more Australian than Indian.
"It's a totally different wicket from the earlier ones, which is a bit of a surprise. But we are not jumping up and down with joy. We have made the necessary adjustments for the traditional sub-continent wickets. It does look lighter in colour than yesterday, but it will play fine. And, as a general policy, you have to bat well in the first innings," he said.
Gilchrist was particularly happy with the break between the second and the third Test.
"The break was very refreshing. I spent a few days with my family and I think it's important for us to step away from the game for a little while. The organizers for all the tours should keep this in mind, because the break can really enhance the level of the game," he said.
The Indians also had enough time to explore and find solutions for the errors they committed in the earlier Tests. With Ganguly overcoming his thigh strain and Tendulkar back in the side they will be striving to keep history on their side.
In Bangalore, the Indians appeared to have recovered from a slump in form but had Aussie grit pushed straight down their throat; in Chennai, the weather played spoilsport. Now, in Nagpur, the wicket may not turn out to be their best friend.
If India has to win this series and recreate the magic of the last two battles against Australia, they will need to wipe out the external forces that could play on their mind and make inner strength count.
