Former Australia fast bowler Bruce Reid believes the Adelaide wicket for the second Test between Australia and India will be a batting paradise and make life very difficult for bowlers from both sides.
"The Adelaide wicket is a very good one. With the strong batting line-ups of the two countries we are in for a run-feast. Once the pitch dries out there will be lots of runs in it," said Reid, currently doing duty as India's bowling coach Down Under.
Reid warned that the fourth and fifth days will play a vital role in deciding the outcome of the match.
"The pitch is good for batting on the first three days after which the ball will be up and down and will take turn," he observed.
With left-arm spinner Murali Kartik being summoned from India to reinforce the spin department, skipper Sourav Ganguly will have a sleepless night deciding the bowling composition.
"For a captain it is a very difficult choice to decide whether to play three seamers and a spinner or go two-seam two-spin," said Reid.
Despite Reid's reading of the wicket, only three spinners (Tim May, Michael Bevan and Mark Waugh) have had five-wicket hauls at the Adelaide Oval in the last decade, which has seen seamers dictate the course of matches at the venue.
"You must pick your best bowlers. India has three good seamers and it makes sense to go with them. You can go with two great spinners, but does India have them? I don't have the answers," added Reid.
The 40-year old, who has been with the Indian team since the last two weeks, believes Zaheer Khan is a special bowler.
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"It is always hard on day one of a series. The bowlers were nervous, not knowing what was in store for them. We had a talk about the things that went wrong. We spoke about not trying to get wickets with every ball but to just concentrate on bowling to a plan. The next day they bowled easy.
"They needed to improve and bowl certain lengths to every player. We had discussions on where to bowl and what line to concentrate on. We didn't do anything radically different at the end of day one. Just pushed the point that bowling in Tests is hard and the bowlers would have to stick it out."
Reid also defended Ashish Nehra, who had a pedestrian outing at Brisbane.
"Nehra was playing his first Test after an operation on his foot. He was always going to struggle in the first Test. But you will see a marked improvement in his bowling at Adelaide. He was underdone as far as fitness was concerned."
He admits he has had insufficient time to settle into the job.
"I joined the guys two days before the first Test. I did not have time to see them and get to know them. Now I have finally got time with them. We talk everyday and we're trying things together. I know how they think and I know how they function. It is much better now.
"We are going into this Test with set plans for every batsman."
Reid, who has had his share of success against India, picking 24 wickets in seven Tests, believes this Indian side is more confident and keener than earlier ones.
"They are better fielders than what they were 10 years ago, but this side lacks an all-rounder like Kapil Dev. Someone with half his talent would also be very good for this side," he claimed.
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