India look for 2-2 on 300-plus pitch

India are desperate to level the one-day series against Australia 2-2. And that could well happen here—if MS Dhoni...

India are desperate to level the one-day series against Australia 2-2. And that could well happen here—if MS Dhoni wins the toss once again, and bats first. That’s the best way forward for India, say the local curator, the BCCI’s pitch pointman and Vadodara veterans.

At the IPCL stadium, venue for the fifth game on Thursday in the seven-match series, India down 1-2, local curator Vasudev Patel points to the scoreboard of the last game played here this February: India vs West Indies, India 341/3, Sachin Tendulkar 100 in 76 balls. “It’s a good one-day strip, a batting paradise. One can expect 300-plus scores,” says Patel. And according to BCCI curator Dhiraj Parsana, “The batsman will have a ball here. Even the outfield is fast.”

Good news for India, with manager Lalchand Rajput revealing that Sachin Tendulkar has recovered from the strain he suffered on his knee while batting in Chandigarh on Monday. Tendulkar, who failed to take the field right through Australia’s inning, was assessed by physio John Gloster, before being declared fit.

According to curator Patel, there’s another reason why Dhoni’s smile may be wider, if his team gets to bat first. “Due to the heat, the strip may crack, and then spinners would come handy,” said Patel.

This is also why Dhoni may like to retain the winning XI after that thriller in Chandigarh, with offie Harbhajan Singh and left-armer Murali Kartik weaving a web around the Aussies. “With the bounce, it will suit Harbhajan’s style of bowling,” says Patel.

Vadodara’s veteran seamer Rakesh Patel, now with the breakaway ICL, agrees that it’s a “batting track, out and out”. He adds, “The ball will come to the bat and the seamers should look to just bowl in the right areas and try to hit the deck.”

There are other reasons for India to believe that Vadodara could give them the edge. Consider these:

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•India have played six ODIs here, and won five. The one match they lost was against West Indies in November 2002

•Sachin Tendulkar has won three man-of-the-match awards here with three centuries

•Sourav Ganguly has got four 50s in four matches with the highest being 87 against South Africa in March 2000.

Why Ganguly and Tendulkar? Because, if they click at the start, India are almost assured of a win. In the last four matches India have won, the two have put together three century partnerships, and that 91 in Chandigarh. And now, Vadodara is waiting.