It was a day when the rival camps presented contrasting moods. While the Indian cricket team preferred to take the day off — driving down to the Wagah Border to check out the Beat The Retreat ceremony — the Pakistanis were hard at work at the nets, evidently trying to iron out the flaws committed at Multan. The border is a thirty-minute drive from Lahore and the ceremony itself takes about half-an-hour. Needless to say, it was a completely new experience for the team.But the hosts appeared stunned by the first Test defeat and the first thing they did was close all gates to mediapersons. Under strict instructions from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), no one from the media was allowed to enter the Gaddafi Stadium, quite a contrast to the free access the media contingent has had to the Pakistani players, especially on days leading up to a match.The only way out was to watch the action from the media gallery. The only messages that came out loud and clear was that the wicket looks really green and it is hard to differentiate between the outfield and the pitch; the handiwork of pitch consultant Andy Atkinson, who flew in from Lahore as early as Day Three of the first Test to work on the pitch.Reinforced by the arrival of Ashish Nehra, India too would not mind the grass on the wicket. The Delhi paceman flew into Lahore on Friday evening alongwith skipper Saurav Ganguly’s cover Mohammed Kaif.Team media manager Amrit Mathur informed reporters that Nehra would be the 16th member of the touring squad and would not be any one’s replacement. Mathur added that tests on Zaheer’s injured right hamstring have been conducted and any decision on the Indian spearhead can be possible only on the morrow. But as things stand at the moment, it appears that Zaheer will have to fly back for treatment.
