The Kanpur track is dry, has cracks, and it will assist the home side, as it should. But, if you listen to head groundsman Shiv Kumar, only as much as it should. There are early indications that the ball wont turn as early or as alarmingly as it did in Nagpur and Mohali last season, when India won both Tests inside three days.There might be some concern at the sight of the cracks three days from the start of a Test, but Shiv said the soil has deceptively good binding qualities, and that erring on the side of caution could result in a repeat of the 2004-05 Test when Andrew Hall scored 163 in a boring draw. That was the debut Test for Shiv, an electrician by formal training who decided to try his hand as a groundsman because of unemployment. He says he has learnt a lot from that 2004-05 draw.The other extreme in Kanpur, though, appeared in 2008 when India, trailing 0-1 in the series, beat South Africa in three days on a vicious turner, which was later rated poor by the ICC. Shiv said that happened because of the April heat, and a repeat was not likely to happen this year. If the Test on crack was played in the heat of April, the one on valium was played in November when the weather cools down considerably. This one, in September, might be bang in the middle in terms of heat; September used to be pleasant before global warming turned the north Indian summer into a seemingly never-ending phenomenon.Shiv has three reasons to be confident this pitch wont start turning alarmingly on day one. Firstly, the cracks might be visible, but they are not loose; in fact the surface is quite hard. A knuckle knock on the pitch creates a solid sound. Secondly, Shiva said the binding qualities of the Kanpur soil make it a difficult surface to break. Thirdly, the pitch is still getting watered, unlike Nagpur last year where the cracks had become loose by the time the toss happened. The pitch was kept under covers to shield it from the scorching sun during the day, and it was watered at 5pm. More rolling and watering is expected on the two days before the match.There are patches of grass on the pitch, but they are too dry and too far apart to provide any real encouragement for traditional fast bowling. However, if it rains - it rained on Sunday and some mild showers are expected during the Test - the heavy atmosphere and the high water table at Green Park could make traditional swing and seam a factor. Otherwise Shiv expects only about an hours help for the quicks on the first morning.A typical Green Park track, Shiv said, on the basis of first-class matches in the Ranji Trophy, is good for batting for the first two days, and then it starts to take turn. That is more a classic Test track in India: good for batting in the first half of the match and moving along at a rapid pace in the second. The turn is expected to be on the slower side.The dry track is ripe for reverse swing, which could seal Neil Wagners selection alongside Trent Boult for New Zealand, and might tempt India to play two quicks, three spinners, and thus, just the five batsmen. Cheap Houston Rockets Jerseys . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Wholesale Rockets Jerseys . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. http://www.cheaprocketsjerseys.com/ . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Cheap Rockets Jerseys Authentic . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Vincent Edwards Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. The 62-year wait is over for the Western Bulldogs, their premiership drought broken by one of the greatest grand finals in AFL history.After five lead changes and constant high drama, the Bulldogs pulled away in the last quarter for a fairytale 22-point win on Saturday at the MCG.Bulldogs players, personnel and fans were in tears after the 13.11 (89) to 10.7 (67) triumph, which came just two years after the club was in disarray.Renowned as western suburbs battlers, their only other flag was in 1954. It is the third-longest wait for a premiership in history.They are the first AFL team to win the flag from seventh place and it caps an amazing year where the Bulldogs have triumphed over a shocking run of injuries.No injury was more devastating than the knee reconstruction after round three that ended captain Bob Murphys season.Murphy was already a beloved figure at the Bulldogs and his off-field leadership since that cruel setback made him the inspirational figurehead of this premiership.Coach Luke Beveridge called Murphy onto the stage after the match and handed him his Jock McHale medal as the premiership coach.This is yours mate - you deserve it more than anyone, Beveridge said.The flag is also a triumph for Beveridge, who is in only his second season as an AFL senior coach.The Bulldogs were in freefall when Beveridge arrived at the club in late 2014, following the departures of his predecessor Brendan McCartney and captain Ryan Griffen.It continues his Midas touch - in the past 11 years, Beveridge has been part of seven premierships as coach of amateur team St Bedes-Mentone, as an assistant at Collingwood and Hawthorn, and now at the Dogs.Beveridge admmitted to surprise that the Bulldogs had turned around their fortunes so emphatically in just two seasons.ddddddddddddHe added that when their shocking run of injuries was at it height earlier this season, the team showed enormous faith.The probability at that time that we didnt make it here was probably really high - say 90 per cent, maybe higher, Beveridge said.So theres a 10 per cent possibility that we get here - we were 100 per cent on the possibility.You have to stay glass half-full.It was appropriate that Jason Johannisen - another Bulldogs casualty earlier this year with a serious hamstring injury - won the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the grand final.Saturdays win also capped a finals series where the Bulldogs upset West Coast in Perth, ended Hawthorns premiership reign and then upset the Giants in Sydney.It took everything we had and, once youve won three big games like that, youre not sure whether you have another big one in you, Beveridge said.Thank God we did.Club president Peter Gordon, another key Bulldogs figure, said the flag was a dream come true.This is one of those big days in life ... that most of us will never forget, one of the happiest days of our lives, for all Bulldogs fans, he said.Whats it feel like? It feels bloody fantastic!The Swans came so close to taking control in the second term but, ultimately, the 2012 premiers were left lamenting their second grand-final loss in three years.They were also seething at the 20-8 free-kick count against them, another major talking point from the match. ' ' '
