The toss has been so important in this series that in the lead-up to the deciding fourth Test the Australians practised their calling. It was a short, light-hearted exercise, like a game of two-up on Anzac Day, and at the end it was revealed that the coin was two-headed. After three guesses Ricky Ponting was one of two guys with a perfect record. He always calls heads, and is desperate for a change in luck on Thursday morning at the Vidarbha Cricket Association's new stadium.
Ponting has lost the past two tosses and quickly watched his team fall behind, and he does not need the bat-first-and-dominate theory to occur as they push to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "I went down and had a look at the wicket yesterday, it's rock hard like concrete and there's no grass on it," Ponting said.
"With no history to the wicket, we don't know if it's going to bounce, or stay low, or what it's going to do. One thing I know is that it is going to spin, it's so bare. Hopefully we win the toss."
While Ponting has no control over the fall of the coin, he is also uncertain as to what will happen in the morning when he walks out to the toss. Gautam Gambhir's appeal against a one-match suspension for elbowing Shane Watson in the third Test in Delhi was turned down by the ICC on Tuesday, but the Indian board has "rejected" the ruling.
"It's going to be an awkward situation for me to be put in tomorrow if I get out there for the toss and the guy that's been rubbed out has his name on the team sheet," Ponting said. "I need to be clear, and Cricket Australia needs to be clear, on that."
India, who lead the series 1-0, also have a new captain in Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the exit of the legspinner Anil Kumble on Sunday, while VVS Laxman is playing his 100th Test and Sourav Ganguly will join Kumble in retirement after the game. Ponting hoped all the off-field issues of his opponents would help his side.
"One thing it [the Gambhir decision] does do is create a bit of confusion around their team," Ponting said. "They'll obviously have a lot of distractions going on. For us, it's pretty plain sailing, we've just got to work out the best way to play in these conditions."
The decision over the final XI will be difficult, but it appears the offspinner Jason Krejza will make his debut. Australia have taken 14, 13 and 12 wickets over the first three games and it is the main reason they are in such an unfamiliar position.
