We are still in Nagpur, but if you spotted the players of the two teams today, there was no way of knowing which one is playing at home. A minor confusion — with major implications — is because of the changing colour code of the 22-yards laid out at Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium. The Australians appeared very much at home and the Indian team resembled a touring team still trying to come to terms with the ‘alien’ conditions. With the series 1-0 in favour of Australia, the curator efforts have rubbed salt into the Indian wounds, still raw after the rain gods thwarted their victory march in Chennai. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was candid in expressing his displeasure at the pitch on offer even with the grass having been trimmed to the bare minimum. Though his request to trim the grass, as reported by The Indian Express on Monday, did bear fruit, Ganguly was still not satisfied: ‘‘I made the request to shave off the grass from the wicket from Kolkata on the 20th. Obviously our strength is our spinners. But at the end of the day it is up to him (curator Pradhan). I can only make a request.’’ ‘‘We will play on what he (Pradhan) gives us. I don’t think he has done much work (of trimming of the grass),’’ he added with a glum face. ‘‘He feels this pitch will turn also. We are going by what he says.’’ Australian skipper Adam Gilchrist though had more cause for cheer and was in his elements. ‘‘Surprised’’ by the different pitch, he noted that the pitch had become ‘‘lighter’’ in colour since they first saw it on Saturday. ‘‘You would expect a drier wicket here in India. But this is a very Australian pitch. So we are obviously surprised but we are not going to jump around,’’ said a cautious Gilchrist. The Australian camp have also made a strategic change, bringing Brett Lee into the XII in place of off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. As Gilchrist explained, the pitch may also lead to a change in approach and some minor adjustments. ‘‘Till now our thinking was tailored for the Indian pitches. But since this looks more like in Australia we will have to change our approach.’’ But Lee’s place in the final XI might still not be a reality. The quicker Lee might enjoy the surface a lot, but he can only replace Michael Kasprowicz, who has been the best bowler on tour so far. It is unlikely the Australians will tamper with Glenn McGrath’s or Jason Gillespie’s positions. ‘‘Brett gives us a definite option. But we’ll decide after looking at the wicket tomorrow morning,’’ said Gilchrist, insisting that the pitch could change in nature by the time the match starts. And then there is the Sachin Tendulkar issue. He is the only plus for India at this stage. His return has boosted the morale of a team that is yet to name their XII, though Ganguly named Ajit Agarkar as Irfan Pathan’s replacement. The indecision will only lead to a weakening in the ranks, and as history has proven, the Australians will be the first to spot the weak links. Already down in the series, the Indians can ill-afford to do that, and will need to set their house in order by early morning Tuesday.
