Kanpur Pitch may bring 'Shock' and 'Surprise'

--By Sagar Satapathy, Editor-in-Chief

Barely 24 hours before the third and final test match at Kanpur, both Indian and South African teams expressed concern over the pitch. The pitch condition remains a mystery, although both captains had a close look on the pitch on Wednesday. While the curator predicts a sporting pitch, reports say otherwise.

South African coach Mickey Arthur has described the Kanpur pitch as a "shocker". South African Captain has expressed unhappiness about the Kanpur wicket. He went on to say, " it can be insulting for a team if they can win only on similar surface". It was a direct comment on Team India.

The Kanpur wicket looks high and dry. The pitch already looks slightly under-prepared. Since all grasses were cut off, the scorching heat and sunlight will bring more cracks on the pitch. The pitch is expected to take turn from the afternoon on Day 1 or from second day. The team, which bats first, will have an upperhand.

It's a gamble for Team India, as their batsmen may or may not be able to face the South African bowling attack. On the contrary, South African batsmen McKenzie, Amla, Kallis and De Villiers have proved that they could handle the spin attack in an effective manner. An injured and out-of-form Kumble is a big concern for India. A lot will depend on how Harbhajan exploits the conditions. The indications are that match would be finished within 3/4 days, but winner could be any side.