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The skies above the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha remained serenely calm despite reports of heavy rains within the city as the New Zealand team went about their practice routines on Thursday. It was almost as if the dark clouds, which had already dumped a lot of rain in Nagpur, were intent on playing good hosts. For, just minutes after the Kiwis had packed up after a two-hour long session and boarded their team-bus, the light began to fade rapidly.
With threatening clouds swooping in from all directions and a chilly breeze sweeping across the field, the groundsmen hurriedly brought in the covers. So eerie and bizarre was the transformation that it felt like a scene straight out of an alien movie. Although no gremlins fell from the sky, the heavens did finally open up. And in such damaging fashion that the Indian team was forced to remain indoors in their hotel and miss out on a crucial practice session, two days before the third and final Test that commences here on Saturday.
Although it was inaugurated just over two years ago, the VCA Stadium has already witnessed a barrage of international cricket and has hosted more games than any other venue in the country ever since three shorter-format games and two Test matches, the latter being highly-anticipated affairs.
The Aussies arrived here in 2008 desperate to redeem some pride as the No. 1 Test team after having struggled previously in the series, but failed in their bid, going down famously by 172 runs. The Proteas, on the other hand, ended up enhancing their credentials earlier in the year as deserved contenders to the Test throne, downing India with a humiliating innings-defeat.
But few who followed the Kiwis' preparation to this tour would have expected the stadium's third Test to be of much significance. Considering the damning nature of their debacle in Bangladesh, no one including most of the Kiwis would have been surprised if the fate of the three-match series had already been decided by the time they landed here. And a missed practice session would not have mattered much to MS Dhoni & Co, for they would've been expected to be thinking ahead to the huge test that lies in South Africa.
However, despite a disastrous build-up for what was already expected to be a lop-sided contest, Daniel Vettori's men have not only displayed immense gumption against the marauding Indians; they have remarkably held their own in two consecutive Tests against a team ranked seven places above them.
Four of their top-order batsmen have scored centuries, including opener Brendon McCullum's match saving double-ton at Hyderabad, while Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill have looked in form too. Both the experienced heads in the bowling department, skipper Vettori and Chris Martin, have picked up a five-wicket haul each already.
Though the Indians have dominated a number of sessions in the first two Tests, and most of their batsmen and Harbhajan Singh have raked up impressive batting figures, the No. 1 Test team have not dominated as they would have liked to. Dhoni will be aware that nothing less than a win would do at the VCA Stadium, and will have his fingers crossed that weather doesn't intervene despite the threatening forecasts.
While Vettori & Co would definitely be pressing for a win, they wouldn't mind much if the dark clouds do return to haunt again over the next few days. After all, they have already overcome their gremlins and salvaged pride in dramatic fashion over the last two weeks. For, a rained-out Test and a drawn series on Indian shores will definitely help complete their redemption.
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