As on Wednesday, rain, and not New Zealand, looked the biggest threat to prevent India from winning the two-Test series 2-0.
Almost throughout the day, it rained intermittently — it has been raining here for the last few days, and the forecast is not encouraging either: the weatherman says showers and thunderstorms are likely in the next few days.
Before and between the showers over the M Chinnasawamy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon and evening, the Indian and New Zealand teams got just enough time to eke out practice sessions.
New Zealand, trailing 0-1 in the series, had a session in the morning when Daniel Vettori, who has been ruled out of the Test series with a shoulder injury, also turned his arm over, though gingerly.
Although the turf at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), housed within the stadium, was damp, the Indian team had a long practice session in the afternoon, with Sachin Tendulkar having two stints, both as diligently as ever.
The pitch should not be affected as it was extensively covered. The damp weather may play a role in influencing the teams’ combinations.
It is expected that spinners would again rule the roost, but if the weather remains like this the two captains — Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ross Taylor — may be forced to re-think about their XIs.
On Wednesday, players worked on their bodies and bats. While Tendulkar, watched by a few young NCA trainees from close quarters, polished a few shots all alone in the nets after a long and proper stint against teammates Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir got his back massaged by the physiotherapist.
Tendulkar’s long stint also seemed to have made Anil Kumble, former captain and now president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, who probably wanted to meet him. After his first stint, the maestro went to the empty net where he made someone throw balls from less than 22 yards. Soon people gathered at the back of the nets to see the 39-year-old veteran prepare diligently for his 190th Test match.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored his maiden Test century in the first Test, too was as serious as Tendulkar. Before and after his stint, the new No. 3 batsman chatted with coach Duncan Fletcher and his seniors – all along looking as studious as Rahul Dravid used to be at the net practice.
Like his consistent scores, Pujara, who is seen as an ideal replacement for the Bangalore-based Dravid, has been the scourge of bowlers using the same prolific blade of his for a while.
"The weight of my bat is around 1170-1180 gms. Though I am not too sure about the exact weight, it is around that. I have not changed the weight for a couple of years,” Pujara told Mail Today.
The Indian team’s practice session had some familiar guests. Leg-spinners Amit Mishra and Rahul Sharma, who are at the NCA at the moment, joined the lone leg-spinner in the Indian team, Piyush Chawla, at the nets.
Spin, of course, remains the flavour of the series, with R Ashwin terminating the Kiwis’ flight with a career-best 12-wicket haul in the first Test in Hyderabad that India won by an innings and 115 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.
On the other side of the fence, New Zealand are now realising how important Vettori is for them to be competitive at the international level.
Even though the left-arm spinner is expected to play only two Twenty20 Internationals after the Tests, he is clearly guiding the younger players in the team with his vast experience of playing on helpful Indian pitches.
Apart from bowling for New Zealand he has also represented Delhi Daredevils and Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League. And he would know the M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch like the back of his hand as it is the home of the Royal Challengers.
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