Curators play for India

Well, rumor has its say that the curator who will be preparing the pitch for the 2^nd test between India and South Africa- Prabir Mukherjee is asked to prepare a turning track which will be a special one exclusively for Harbhajan Singh we can guess. After losing the 1st test match at Nagpur and that too by a margin of an innings and 6 runs, India have to look out for some or the other means to settle the series by winning the 2^nd one scheduled at Nagpur and with it secure their number one position in test cricket which India is now enjoying.

This is not the first time that India will be going in for a track that will best suit them and a track that is sure to trouble the opposition. And the main weapon for India and that too against South Africa is no doubt the spin bowling department and more so when they are playing under home conditions. The secret is now revealed that India will be playing South Africa at a turner in Kolkata where unofficially India will have the upperhand. This is not the first time that India has taken such a stand when it is hosting its opponents.

If India's past series' against South Africa alone is considered, in the last tour in 2008, India lost the second test at Ahmedabad after the first test ended in a draw (which saw Virender Sehwag scoring his 2^nd triple hundred) by an innings and 90 runs. In that particular match, not only did India go all out for a score of 76 on board but, the spinners returned with just 5 wickets between them. And, in the 3^rd test at Kanpur, Indian curator took no sorts of risks and prepared a turning track where Harbhajan Singh had 7 scalps and spinners in particular taking 14 wickets en-route to their 8 wicket win.

So was the case in 2004 where the 1st test at Kanpur ended in a draw with Harbhajan Singh taking just 4 wickets and Kumble taking 6 in the 1st innings and going wicketless in the 2^nd. Once again in the 2^nd test at Kolkata the track suited spinners which Harbhajan Singh made full use of when he was found taking 10 South African wickets. This was also the case in the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2008-09 where two test matches ended in draw with the pitch aiding batsmen and the remaining two tests being won by India where spinners had their say.