Hope for India — Grass not greener at MCG

“I have read in newspapers about this wicket being a quick one. Steve Waugh too has said the same thing but I disagree,” he said. He pointed towards the main wicket, and said: “This is not a green wicket. The grass has all dried up. This wicket will have better bounce than the one at Adelaide but marginally. The ball won’t fly here. It will be good for batting.”

Unlike the square in the middle, which is covered up with a thick layer of grass, the centre wicket is brown, thegrass dried and baked in the sun. The good news for the Indian batsmen is that Shane Warne is not planning to use the next few days to water the wicket and bring it back to its original green hue. “We don’t want the Test to be over in three or four days. I am sure the batsmen can get runs here. The bowlers are not going to get much swing here either,” said Warne.

Encouraging words for the Indians, who used the second of their five days of rest for some net practice.

Kapil’s knee operated
Indian coach Kapil Dev had an orthoscopic operation done on his right knee which was troubling him ever since the team arrived in Australia last month for a three-Test series and a triangular one-day contest involving India, Pakistan and Australia.

Kapil, after the morning operation, told The Indian Express in the evening: “I was feeling pain in my knee which prevented me from going all out in the nets during practice. I got a check-up done in Hobart and the doctors told me I should get this operation doneif I want to exert myself with the boys.”

This is the second time the former Indian captain has got this operation done. He had his first knee operation in 1982 in USA. Kapil was only three years into international cricket then and played on for another 12 years.“The doctor told me that if I lasted 15 years after that operation, after this one, I will be good enough to play actively for at least five more years,” Kapil said.

He added because of this knee problem he was forced to postpone a few of his coaching plans, which include, “doing extensive video shooting of the players so that a few of their flaws could be corrected.”

Unlike in 1982, when it took Kapil three days to have the operation completed, the operation today was a matter of a few hours and by the evening, he was back in his hotel room. “I will be there at the nets tomorrow and day after, I will be practicing with the boys,” he said.