India vs WI, 3rd test at Mumbai : Discussions, observations, predictions, experiences and opinions

[SachDan]

'Hard and bouncy' track at Wankhede MUMBAI: Test match cricket will make a return to the Wankhede Stadium after a gap of four years - the last one here was in March 2006 vs England - when India take on the West Indies in the third and final match of the on-going series from Tuesday, and the curator has dished out a nice-looking "hard and bouncy" track which he termed as an "ideal" Test match pitch. It is surely by no means an ideal Wankhede track of the old which would go slow and low towards the end or for that matter turn into a "dust bowl" as it once did against Australia, when India won a famous match. The one laid out now is nice and even and has some grass covering to bind it. Of course, a lot of rolling has been done and with just two days to go before the Test it may well look very much the same by the time the toss is taken. Predicting its behaviour, curator Sudhir Naik said, "It will be more helpful to the bowlers with good bounce and carry. It should also assist the spinners from the third day onwards." Often-heard assessment many would say but Naik insisted that the track would indeed be a "sporting" one. Naik surely knows things first hand for he spent many a sleepless night preparing the eight plots at the refurbished Wankhede ahead of the World Cup earlier this year. "Only we know how we raced against time then and how we came up with these beauties in time for the big show. I just couldn't sleep for days and it was only when Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit that memorable six in the World Cup final that I felt lighter," Naik recalled. A former India batsman (he played three Tests in 1974), Naik knows a lot about pitch-making and has delivered some quality pitches, given his 40 years of experience as a curator since his days. "Looking at the brown colour of pitches at Wankhede, everyone asks if it is a typical Wankhede wicket. Now if you say typical of the old then the question is of which time period. Since the new stadium has come up we have re-laid the pitches and surely these wouldn't behave like the earlier ones," explained the 66-year-old. The one readied for this Test match is different from the ones used in the World Cup. It is right next to the one incentre and on the right from the pavilion. Not just Naik, his whole team of groundsmen is sure of the pitch being the best among the three venues where the series has been played so far. "Hamne World Cup mein bhi sahi wicket diya tha aur yeh bhi Test match ke liye ekdum accha hoga (we produced good tracks for the World Cup and this one too will be good for Test cricket)," said one of the senior groundsmen. Hopefully, both Dhoni and also the West Indies captain Darren Sammy would also be happy with it just as with the even and lush outfield. The West Indies will have their nets at the ground on Sunday morning.

[surajmal]

good. time to test aaron alongside ishant and yadav. Would this be the fastest Indian trio to play in a test match together?

[Texy]

WI 1st inning score prediction -- 3rd Test Closest Prediction to the actual score ....gets $3 mil (in case of tie...prize will be shared) :D Bids will be accepted til WI lose 6 wickets or end of Day 1 (whichever comes 1st)

[SachDan]

386

[skindia]

525

[skindia]

waiting till 6th wicket not fair...then anyone can predict with tailenders batting

[Trichromatic]

234

[asterix]

320-370

[Mariyam]

Collapse imminent. 270 all out

[ganeshran]

410

[Ravi.]

356

[ganeshran]

4th wicket prediction Predict when the second wicket will fall. Get $5 million ICF for the closest prediction. 1st wicket winner: Tiger80 2nd wicket winner: Pagalpanti 3rd wicket: skindia

[Sehwag1830]

130

[Number]

650/5 declare.

[Tiger80]

325

[carnish]

260

[Tiger80]

115

[Number]

320.

[Trichromatic]

115

[Pagalpanti]

126