Smell of fresh paint welcomed the Indian and New Zealand cricketers as they had the first feel of the battle ground where they will meet for the first Test which starts on Wednesday. As Motera gave final touches to the newly renovated stands, the two teams warmed up for the big Test. Besides the usual cricketing drills the two sets of players focused their attention on the center square, which incidentally will play a big role in their respective game plans. But the sight of the brown strip with a dash of green might not have helped either Saurav Ganguly or Stephen Fleming since these are early days. Maybe, a close scrutiny of the wicket on the eve of the match might be productive. The Indians didn’t waste much time as they landed at the ground soon after checking in. Expect for the new recruit Laxmipathy Balaji, who is yet to arrive, the rest went through the motions under the watchful eyes of coach John Wright. In the evening it was the turn of the Kiwis at the nets. Desperate for some action after those forgettable outings at Rajkot and Vishakapatnam, the Black Caps were down to serious business. The late evening nets meant the weather conditions were a bit easy for the visitors. But their next session at nets tomorrow morning will give them a taste of things of come in the Test match. The interest level among the locals for the game is encouraging. With this being tipped as India’s revenge series for the humiliation in New Zealand last year, the organisers was expecting a big turnout. Besides, this also happens to be local boy Parthiv Patel’s first Test on his home ground. And the fact that the young wicket-keeper’s big day at home happens to on 8th, his lucky number, the signs seem good.
