Cricket: Test pitch just what the Indian doctor ordered

By RICHARD BOOCK in India

AHMEDABAD - The suggestion that India might provide a pace-friendly pitch for the first test against New Zealand has turned out to be no more than a flight of fancy.

After much hype about the need for bouncier surfaces on the sub-continent, the teams arrived in Ahmedabad this week to find a typical Indian pitch prepared for the first test. It looks likely to play low and slow, and turn later in the match.

The nature of the pitch means New Zealand will have something of a dilemma settling on their final X1 - whether to play a second spinner in Paul Wiseman, or include the extra pace of Ian Butler.

Only a week before it seemed that Wiseman was being earmarked for the opening test, but an uninspiring performance at the bowling crease during the game against India A, not to mention a below-par effort in the field, may count against him.

If he does get the nod ahead of Butler, it would mean the new ball being shared between Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram, with Scott Styris and Craig McMillan handling the third seam responsibilities.

The only other option is for captain Stephen Fleming to carry Butler and Wiseman and drop a batsman, a move that would force Oram up into the No 6 slot, where he batted in the previous test series in Sri Lanka.

However, that seems unlikely as the only genuine candidate to be dropped would be Nathan Astle, and the New Zealand team do not yet seem ready to take that gamble.

India coach John Wright had a close look at the Gujarat Stadium pitch yesterday and said it looked likely to favour the batsmen for the first three days, before providing assistance for the slow bowlers.

"From what I've seen in the past day or two, and from the behaviour of the practice pitches, I would have to say that the wicket here looks very much like a typical Indian wicket," said Wright.

"It will be a good batting pitch, but it will definitely turn later on."

The conditions should suit the home side, who are without pace threats Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra, but can still boast plenty of strike power in spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble.

There was even a hint from Wright that Nehra, the blossoming left-arm paceman, was left out so that his fitness could be guaranteed for this summer's tour to Australia.

"Obviously we are missing Srinath, and Nehra's got a knee problem, but it's probably more critical that we have them in those [Australian] conditions than in these [Indian] conditions," he said.

The intimation was that, as long as the usual slow and turning pitches were prepared for this series, India would be well-equipped to cope with New Zealand, to the extent they could even afford to rest their most penetrative fast bowler.

Just six tests have been previously played in Ahmedabad, the most recent against England two years ago when the visitors ran up 406 and knocked India over for 291, before being comfortably held at bay in the third innings.

New Zealand played their one and only test at Ahmedabad the season before, being played out of the game from the outset when India amassed 583 for seven declared, though still faring well enough with the bat to hold on for a draw.

The only occasion in which India have lost at Ahmedabad was in 1983-84, when they crashed to a 138-run loss against Clive Lloyd's West Indian side.

And while Harbhajan and Kumble are expected to be New Zealand's biggest threat in this test match, Wright said he had a lot of faith in India's two rookie pace bowlers, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Aavishkar Salvi.

"Balaji has been around for a while and was the most successful first-class bowler in India last year, and Salvi is a young kid who has come up the ranks fast.

"He has done really well, and very quickly.

"So they're both good prospects and we're very happy with the team we've got."New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Robbie Hart, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler, Paul Wiseman.

India (from): Sourav Ganguly (capt), Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Aavishkar Salvi, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Yuvraj Singh, Sairaj Bahutule.

The Ahmedabad story

India at home ...

* Lost to West Indies by 138 runs, 3rd test, November 1983.

* Drew with Pakistan, 4th test, March 1987.

* Beat Sri Lanka by innings & 17 runs, 3rd test, February 1994.

* Beat South Africa by 64 runs, 1st test, November 1996.

* Drew with New Zealand, 1st test, October 1999.

* Drew with England, 2nd test, December 2001.