Wright - 'Sometimes you hope for a little home advantage'

John Wright has asked Indian officials in charge of preparing wickets to be more thoughtful when they set their job. In the drawn Test at Ahmedabad, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh could not force the issue despite giving their best. "It is the responsibility of people preparing the wickets to keep these things in mind. Sometimes you probably need to raise these points with the people responsible," said Wright at a press conference in Mohali, where the second Test starts on Thursday.

"It's unusual in India that the team batting first scores 500 runs in the first innings and there is no assistance to the bowlers in the later stages of the match," said Wright. "We have to play on wickets that are given to us. Sometimes you hope for a little bit of home advantage. It is the case in all the countries. In Australia, they make sure that their wickets never turn."

Sourav Ganguly has publicly defended his bowlers for their effort in Ahmedabad, and Wright echoed these thoughts. "There were three world-class spinners -- [Anil] Kumble, Harbhajan [Singh] and [Daniel] Vettori - playing in the match. They all struggled on the track. But the long spells will help them in the subsequent match." However, he did not cite this as an excuse. "You have to play on whatever wicket that is given to you. You have to approach the game and adapt accordingly. We played good cricket but we could not finish the match in the way we desired"

Wright believed that four bowlers could do the job adequately, unless special circumstances demanded the inclusion of an extra bowler. He also had a comforting word for Akash Chopra. "It is important to give some space to the newcomers. You have to have faith in them and show it. You have to allow these players to settle down."

Wright also downplayed calls for preparing fast tracks in India. "Trying to change the basic nature of Indian pitches will not be good for the game. India should keep its tradition. If we start making pitches like the ones in Australia, it will not be good for the game. The diversity of the game is also important."