Rejuvenated after break, Indians hope to break the jinx

Basseterre, St Kitts, Jun 21 (UNI) After two near-misses, the Indians would be hoping to be third-time lucky when they take on a spirited West Indies on what looks like a greentop in the third Test beginning here tomorrow.

Both in Antigua and St Lucia, the visitors were on the brink of victory but on both the occasions, they failed to deliver the decisive blow.

Past, however, is a different country and rejuvenated after a week-long break, Rahul Dravid's men would be determined to have their cake and eat it too.

The pitch at the Basseterre stadium here might well force India to stick to the bowling combination of three seamers and a spinner in the third Test too which means Habhajan Singh will again be warming the bench as part-time offie Virender Sehwag is doing a resonable job as the fifth bowler.

Indian skipper Rahul Dravid had a hard look at the pitch for almost 20 minutes checking the various areas and gently knocking it for hardness. The pitch has fair bit of grass on it and promises to live up to West Indies' skipper Brian Lara's expectation of a ''fair'' pitch.

Dravid would wait for another day to have one more look to make a decision on the playing combination. But as it appeared from a brief chat with media, Rahul is not keen on making changes in the bowling combination.

''Four bowlers did the job for us in the last game. But we will have a look at the pitch tomorrow and then decide on right combination. Ideal scenario is five bowlers, but Sehwag has been doing well and that adds extra string to our bowling,'' said Dravid.

Indian team management might as well wait to have a proper reading of the pitch because even the ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson who is in charge of the pitch here believes some of the grass on the pitch has to go.

''I would shave a little of grass on top but yes there would be definitely something for the seamers in it,'' said Atkinson.

In case India persist with one spinner, Harbhajan Singh might again have to sit out for third test in a row. Dravid feels Sehwag has rolled his arm with distinction and there is a big role for his off-breaks.

''He has bowled very well, important thing is that he maintains his consistency. Like Chris Gayle for the West Indies he too can be a reliever for our bowling,'' said Dravid.

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