NAGPUR, NOV 25: As the cricket caravan rolled into the Orange City to pitch tent for the second Test between India and Sri Lanka, the talk centred around the 22-yard strip at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium where the two teams would lock horns from tomorrow. While the Lankan commander Arjuna Ranatunga termed it as a ``slow turner'', the Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar decided to play it safe, saying ``it appears damp''.

The Indian team management has, however, included an extra spinner -- Nilesh Kulkarni -- in the twelve announced this afternoon, leaving out Ajay Jadeja and medium-pacer Debashish Mohanty. It has at least made one thing clear --wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia would open the innings with the Mohali centurion Navjot Singh Sidhu. Besides, Kulkarni's inclusion indicates a leaning towards spin. But the moot question is: who would sit out? Because, the bowling department has an equal dosage of spin (leg-spinner Anil Kumble, off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan and left-arm spinner Kulkarni) and pace (Javagal Srinath, Abey Kuruvilla and Venkatesh Prasad).

The answer could probably lie in some hardcore facts:

a) The last match (Vidarbha vs Madhya Pradesh Ranji four-dayer) played on the same strip had witnessed an even bounce throughout, resulting in 14 wickets falling to the fast bowlers;

b) Chauhan, who bowled 51 overs in the encounter, went wicketless while other spinners claimed 12;

c) Weather -- the sun is not at its brightest thanks to a persistent cloud cover since the past week. All pointers for the pace department to be in business. Srinath, in particular, for he is on the threshold of capturing his 100th Test wicket. The Indian spearhead, who has overcome the post-surgery scare to his shoulder, has so far 99 victims in 27 Tests.

Critics have been having a merry time at the expense of the Indian team these days. The Mohali Test has only fuelled their imaginations owing to the home team's `play safe' attitude and Tendulkar's men will be hard-pressed to force a win here. The young leader himself has to play a big role in this context. A personal best of 179 against the West Indies when he last played a Test here should be an inspiration for the Indian run machine. The other motivating factor for him could be the fact that he is just 70 away from his 4000th Test run.

Sidhu and Saurav Ganguly with their showing at Mohali have justified the batting potential of the team. But, the Indian batsmen, save Ganguly, should shed off the overly-cautious attitude and look forward to scoring at a faster clip to enhance their winning abilities.

India have some happy memories from the last Test they played against the Lankans at the VCA which they won by an innings and 106 runs. But that was eleven seasons ago and much water has flown under the bridge since. The islanders have attained the world champion status in one-day cricket and are determined to extend it to the longer version too.

They displayed it in ample measure at Mohali and as Ranatunga, the wily leader, emphasised: ``A victory would be better than a 0-0 result in the series.''

The Lankans will be providing a clue for their combination for the game by naming their twelve late in the evening. Though there shouldn't be any change in the top order, it is the lower half that might be altered.

Whatever the combinations be, it would be the winning potential of the two teams that would be of utmost importance when the curtain goes up on the second match of the three-Test series.

THE TEAMS

INDIA (from): Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Navjot Singh Sidhu, Nayan Mongia (wk), Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan, Javagal Srinath, Abey Kuruvilla, Venkatesh Prasad and Nilesh Kulkarni

SRI LANKA (from): Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Maravan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne, Kumara Dharmasena, Lanka de Silva (wk), Chaminda Vaas, Mutthiah Muralitharan, Sajeewa de Silva, Pramodaya Wickeremasinghe, Jayantha de Silva, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Mahela Jayawardene

Umpires: Cyril Mitchley (South Africa) & VK Ramaswamy. Third umpire: P Godbole; Match Referee: Bobby Simpson

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.