I like the green look of Pindi pitch

One month of Indo-Pak cricket has shown that there is very little to choose between the two sides -- it's anybody's game, writes Inzamam-ul-Haq.

It was a huge relief to win the Test match in Lahore and level the series. One month of Indo-Pak cricket has shown that there is very little to choose between the two sides -- it's anybody's game. Whoever wins the third Test will take the series 2-1, which by no means is a dominating scoreline. In case the Rawalpindi Test ends in a draw, the honours will be even. The battle for supremacy will then have to be settled next time around wherever the two teams face-off again.

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We will make every effort to win in Rawalpindi, though. I like the green look of the wicket. After our success in Lahore, is anyone surprised by the colour green? They should not be. After all, don't we wear green in ODIs?

Pitches have hogged the limelight right through the series for the wrong reasons. I want to dedicate this column to defend the 22-yard strips that often get all the blame. The Pindi strip looks green and it reminded me of a game in our domestic cricket a few years back.

The match was between Habib Bank and UBL -- both teams were studded with Test stars. Wasim Akram , Waqar Younis, Azhar Mahmood and Abdur Razzaq were all raring to have a go at each other. Everyone expected the game to finish within three days on a bowler-friendly wicket. The script didn't quite unfold that way.

Habib Bank went to post a 500-plus score and the game went on for all five days.

The point I am trying to make is that traditionally Pakistan bowlers have never bowled well on green-tops. They have rather enjoyed bowling on hard, white surfaces. That's because the ball loses its shine quickly on such surfaces and our bowlers were able to generate reverse swing later in the day. Multan was one such surface, but for whatever reason, our bowlers failed to exploit it.

I am not complaining though, for, they more than made up for it in Lahore where on a green-top they had the Indian batting in disarray. Much of the credit for this goes to young Umar Gul, who not only pitched the ball up, but also moved it both ways. It was a super display of swing bowling. Had he not achieved those breakthroughs in the first innings, we would have struggled once more, for 13 overs had already been bowled at that stage and the ball was fast losing its shine.

Unfortunately, Gul is out of the Pindi Test with an injury, as is Shabbir Ahmed. It's a big blow for us. Had even one of them been fit, I would have thought of resting Mohammed Sami in Pindi. Sami is struggling to be match-fit, but he will play if he passes a late fitness test.

Everyone must be wondering why I haven't spoken about Shoaib Akthar. Well, he showed us briefly in the second innings at Lahore what he is capable us. Hopefully, it was only the trailer and he is reserving his best for the final Test. If Shoaib finds his rhythm early, there is very little for me to worry.

It will be a difficult pitch on which the side batting first will do well to post 350. I expect bowlers on both sides to prosper on this track. There is no way our batsmen will take Irfan Pathan and Balaji lightly.

Unfortunately, the spinners will have very little role to play in this game. I expect both Danish Kaneria and Anil Kumble to play the role of stock bowlers. I will be using Kaneria to bowl from one end and rotate my pacer from the other, giving them enough rest.

I hope Sourav Ganguly's poor luck with the coin continues, for, it will be a good toss to win. Now that we have tasted blood, we are hungry for more.

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