or Green wicketittis if Herald Sun reporter is to be believed
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/green-waca-pitch-leaves-indian-tourists-reeling/story-fn67w6pa-1226241144198A SEVERE bout of "green fever'' swept the WACA yesterday as a traumatised Indian cricket team were shocked by the sight of a wicket they see only in nightmares.
Indian captain MS Dhoni, who barely ever looks at wickets before match eve, made a solo visit to the WACA block to see one of the most heavily grassed wickets ever prepared here.
He looked down stonefaced for about 15 seconds as he prodded the pitch with his hands.
So heavily grassed was the deck it was the first occasion in memory a Test strip was greener than the outfield. By late yesterday it had lost some of its greenness but Friday's third Test, much to the delight of local fans, a blood and thunder Test match beckons.
When Indian batsman Rahul Dravid was on his way to the wicket yesterday one of his team-mates gave him a playful hug and suggested he go no further.
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When he reached the wicket Dravid quipped to the groundstaff "so you didn't get the email?''
When they replied "what email?'' he said "the one which said take the grass off the wicket.''
Several Indian players asked groundstaff how much grass will be taken off the wicket for the tourists loathe seaming conditions.
Curator Cam Sutherland will give it a slight haircut today or tomorrow but it will not be given a short back and sides.
The grass coverage was slightly deceptive yesterday because it only takes three days to prepare a Test wicket in Perth.
But it still looks tailor made for the seamers and if it retains its greenness there is a strong chance Australia will scrap its plan to play Nathan Lyon and promote Mitchell Starc into a four man pace attack.
India's training had its traditional browns cows feel about it but there were signs that the tourists realise they must lift their game, not simply in the middle but at their low energy training sessions.
For the first time this year new balls were used at training and, at the urging of the team's coaches, flighty opening batsman Virender Sehwag made a strong-willed effort to let dangerous balls go outside off stump.
India have had enough of his airy lead-footed swipes being written off as "just the way he plays.''
His recklessness is starting to be seen as a combination of selfishness and laziness and an inability to adapt to challenging conditions.
India even brought in a cameraman to film all of their top order.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma, so impressive here four years ago, bowled with impressive pace and zest in the nets.
He was understood to have still been angry at being photographed giving local fans "the bird'' after leaving a go-karting session the night before.
Team management have decided to take no action against Sharma for the incident.
The Indian team have been under attack from all quarters with spin bowling legend Bishen Bedi claiming the nation has developed an unhealthy obsession with Sachin Tendulkar's elusive 100th international century and have turned a milestone into a millstone.
Tendulkar's search for his elusive 100th century continues at the WACA this week but former Indian captain Bedi believes there is cringe factor to the century circus following Tendulkar around the country.
"This business about Sachin Tendulkar's 100th 100 is not so much a monkey on Sachin's back it is a bloody monkey on the back of every Indian,'' Bedi said from Delhi.
"Had Sachin scored his 100 in Sydney and India had lost the game Indian fans would still have celebrated. We are far more figure conscious and statistically minded than anywhere else - and it is not good.
"Records are meant to be broken. You don't go for them. This is not a mathematical exam. It's sport. It's a collective effort.''
AuthorTopic: India touring Australia 2011-12 : 3rd Test WACA Perth (Read 3501 times)
