Should India prepare slow, low, turning tracks for the World Cup 2011?

The Holy Grail (more so for India than Australia, the Aussies have already lost theirs) is now just a month away and the attention turns from the white to the colored clothing. The squads have been announced, as many are queuing up to predict the winners as there are in the lines for the tickets. Obviously in a land of billion cricket-obsessed followers, everyone has a squad of his own lined-up, which he thinks is better than the other million combinations. But what about the 22-yards that makes all the difference when the tournament starts?

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Geoffrey Boycott will tell you that Cricket matches are won and lost “Between the 22-inches between your ears and not the 22-yards out there”. But then he will also tell you never to hit a ball in the air. So it is safe to say that the philosophy does not always work. What works though is home advantage and that is exactly what India has in this edition of the premier One-Day Tournament. They play all their matches at home (Except one against Bangladesh) and if they make it, then the knockout stages also are played at home.

So, will Team India use this to their advantage by asking groundsmen to make slow, low batting beds where finding a blade of grass and hint of moisture would be harder than in Saharan outback? We should really. Especially considering you have a squad loaded with spinners and qualifying stage opponents who rely on pace and swing (England & South Africa). Of course, the talk will be of “Sporting Tracks” and by that the English, Aussies and South Africans mean tracks that help them as well. Now there is absolutely no reason to get too generous that way!

Somehow an-extra bouncy Perth, a swinging seaming Durban and a damp Lords are all sporting but a turning Eden Gardens, or Wankhede are not as sporting, according to some. Playing against a turning ball is as much a skill as negotiating swing, pace and bounce and hopefully India will use this skill advantage they have. You do not hear Nadal asking for Clay at Wimbledon (well, even if he does, they are not going to alter it) or Federer for Grass at Roland Garros.

Hopefully come World Cup same sense prevails as there is nothing inferior in using ‘home advantage’ and making slow, low turners. Of course, Graeme Smith will whine and Ponting will mumble and Steyn will feel like a cobra without its fangs. But this is India and here we put a whole different spin on things!

(No one should assume that a square turner guarantees Indian win as Eden Gardens 1996 showed it could come back to bite you in the back!!)

Photo: Cricinfo