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For me, Kumble is the key
India play their first Test in Pakistan after 14 years and the fact that I'm sitting out of that game is a huge disappointment, writes Sourav Ganguly.
India play their first Test in Pakistan after 14 years and the fact that I'm sitting out of that game is a huge disappointment for me both as the captain of the side and as a player. More so, after our fantastic come-from-behind win in the one-day series.
The key to this series is how well we start here in Multan. From the point of view of my back, a couple of the discs have lost some fluid, which has caused a lot of spasm in the muscles. There's lots of swelling in the back.
Andrew (Leipus) is putting in a lot of effort and I hope I get fit for the second Test in Lahore because it's really hard sitting off the field and watching it from the stands. It's also tougher when you've been captain of the team for four years now.
I've got to know the mindset of everyone in this side. It's really going to be tough. Multan, the venue for the first Test, is not the most happening place in Pakistan. It's the land of Inzamam-ul Haq and in terms of the stadium and ground, it's the most beautiful ground in Pakistan. The hotels here may not be the best in the business but these are the challenges that you sometimes face when you tour places like Pakistan.
The wicket at the ground had a fair bit of grass covering on Saturday morning. It's very hot in Multan so I won't be surprised if the groundsman leaves the wicket a little damp to last the five days of the Test. There could be a bit of seam movement early on. There are talks that they might remove the grass in the course of the day but that might not be the best idea. Leaving a bit of grass might be advantageous for us.
For me, the key in this series will be how Anil Kumble bowls. He always bowls well against Pakistan in Tests and if they remove the grass, he'll definitely be a key factor. Pakistan won a very close Test match against Bangladesh last year by one wicket, where Inzamam had to play a huge knock on the last day and single-handedly win the game. The spinners from both sides in the last Test picked a lot of wickets. Danish Kaneria from Pakistan and Md Rafiq from Bangladesh did very well.
It's going to be an important series. There's lots of talk about the psychological advantage because of us winning the one-day series but I feel the team that plays better on each day will come out on top.
For us, the key will be to play disciplined cricket because the Pakistan team has lot of talent but lacks a bit of the discipline which is required to be consistent at the top.
