FAISALABAD, 21 January 2006 — After a tame draw due to more than two days of play having been lost because of cloudy conditions and light rains during the first Test between Pakistan and India in Lahore the weather here is much better, and chances of play on all the five days of the second Test look bright.
For the second day running, the sun was shinning brightly for most of yestrday that could make a difference to the pitch, and experts expect it to be livelier with response for the bowlers. The local office of the meteorological department has predicted that there may be some interruption on the first two but indicates sunny spells on the remaining three days.
According to rival captains, Inzamamul Haq and Rahul Dravid, the pitch of the Iqbal Stadium where the second Test will be played from today, appears to offer hope to the bowlers because of some grass on the beige-colored surface, which was watered for 18 hours on Thursday and yesterday.
One man in the Indian squad, more than any one else, must be eagerly looking forward to playing here again. For Sachin Tendulkar the stage is set for a nostalgic return to Iqbal Stadium.
Sixteen years ago in 1989 Tendulkar showed initial signs of making of a great cricketer with a maiden half-century (59) in only his second Test at the tender age of 16.Since then he has never looked back.
The dimunitive maestro, who turns 33 in April, has gone on to become among world all time best batsman with a staggering 24,232 international runs to his credit, including 10,323 in 127 Tests with the help of 73 centuries including a record 35 Test hundreds.
