Focus on the wicket at Green Park

Kanpur, Nov. 22: It is neither the record-defending Indian helmsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni nor his Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara. Less than 48 hours before the second Test between the neighbours, Green Park Stadium’s curator Shiv Kumar insists he is the man most under pressure.

“You feel as gingerly as a bride’s father on the eve of his daughter’s marriage. It’s basically a thankless job and you are out to please everyone. Knives will be out the moment pitch misbehaves,” Kumar philosophically summed up the situation he finds himself in.

“And even when you deliver a good strip, nobody would come and pat you on your back. But then that is a curator’s life and we cannot complaint,” he added.

The diminutive pitch doctor is all the more edgy because of the debate on Test cricket being on its deathbed and how placid track was only expediting the end. The first Test in Ahmedabad, a yawn-fest on an unresponsive shirtfront, has only added to his pressure and Kumar cannot help being restless.

“It’s a tough job. You lose sleep till you hand over the ground to the match officials. And even then, you wait with bated breath to see how things unfold,” he said.

Nearly 1600 runs were scored in Ahmedabad, including seven tons — a sub-continental record — while the hapless bowlers toiled over five days for a meagre collection of 21 wickets.

“But I can assure you that it's going to last five full days and will have something for the batsmen, pacers and spinners. But all would depend on who capitalises on the conditions,” Kumar explained.

“First two days, ball would come nicely and the early moisture means there would be some movement early on. But from third day tea session, there would be wear and tear. There will be footmarks as well and naturally the ball would turn. To cut a long story short, it would be a traditional Test wicket track which would do no mischief,” he said.

Kumar is extra cautious because he still remembers the public outcry after the last Test here in which India beat South Africa within three days and the ICC censured BCCI on the sub-standard track. “I’m still rankled and wonder why people made so much of fuss over the track. They said they had not seen a bigger turner. But I still remember, pacers took 70 per cent of the wickets in that match,” the curator pointed out.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said he was disappointed by the Motera track but admitted they should not have let India get away after having them on the mat on the first day of the match. “We had our best chance when we had them 32/4 but we gave it away after lunch on the opening day,” said Sangakkara. “There was not much for the bowlers on the last two days. If you were a batsman you would like it. I don’t think anyone expected this wicket to be this flat,” he added.

Sangakkara was not the only one rueing the pitch, which saw a whopping 1,598 runs being scored, including a world-record sixth wicket stand of 351 between Mahela Jayawardene (275) and Prasanna Jayawardene (154 not out).

His Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni was equally critical.

“The wicket was bad. It wasn’t much help to the spinners. For the fast bowlers also the wicket got slower and slower,” said Dhoni. “We knew if we didn’t give early wickets to the Sri Lankan bowlers it would be very difficult for them to get 10 wickets and that’s what happened.”

Mendis back?

Sri Lanka could add spinner Ajantha Mendis after left-arm Rengana Herath was surprisingly chosen ahead of him in Ahmedabad.

The 24-year-old grabbed 26 wickets to help clinch a 2-1 home series win over India last year and Mendis, being quicker through the air, could prove effective even on a slow pitch.

The tourists could even add him as a third spinner if new ball bowler Dhammika Prasad, who produced sharp pace, does not recover from a hamstring strain suffered in the first test.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made 112 in Ahmedabad, hurt his nose playing a game of football, but is expected to recover.

The tourists are already without fast bowler Thilan Thushara who had to go back home after failing to recover from a freak shoulder injury, suffered during a training session ahead of the first match.