Kapil hogs attention at Mohali

8220;Today is just a vacation,8221; he said after the team8217;s evening net-practice session. The team drove straight to the ground from the airport. 8220;The real thing starts tomorrow,8221; Kapil smiled. 8220;I want the team coach at 8.45 am,8221; he instructed the Indian team8217;s local manager.

8220;The boys need to tune up for the Test and we will have a long session tomorrow,8221; he pointed out.

For a change, Tendulkar and his back problem took a back seat with the spotlight fixed on Kapil. This also allowed Tendulkar to be his normal self and concentrate on his batting. India take on the New Zealanders in the three-Test series, which begins here from October 10.

In his new avatar as the team coach, Kapil looked as comfortable and focussed as he was in his playing days. He was bowling, supervising catching drills and exercising with the team members. The extra stress on fitness 8212; as in his playing days 8212; was evident. 8220;He has been playing golf lately, so his love for the greens is still there,8221; an onlooker remarked.

Indeed, Kapil loves the greens. He craved for such pitches when he was wheeling his arm over after over for India. Today, he gave his approval to the grass on the pitch to be used for the Test. What transpires tomorrow, on the eve of the match, is anybody8217;s guess, but those close to Kapil were sure that he would like to help the curator with a lively pitch.

Though the team has been playing a surfeit of limited overs cricket in the last 50 days or so, the players looked keen and focussed, especially newcomers like Vijay Bharadwaj, MSK Prasad and Devang Gandhi. The likes of Ajay Jadeja, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Sunil Joshi would also be looking forward to vindicating the selectors8217; faith in them.