A slow and low turner might have negated India's spinners in the first Test at Nagpur, but the pitch could not be blamed for the bowlers' inability to dismiss England, curator at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali said on Tuesday.
"You can't blame the track. You have to have spinners who can turn the ball," Daljit Singh, in charge of the venue for the second Test starting in Mohali on Thursday, said.
England made 393 and 297 for three declared in the first Test at Nagpur where the pitch did not deteriorate on the fourth and fifth days as expected.
Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh picked two wickets each in the match which ended in a draw.
That stalemate has now shifted the focus on the 22-yard strip at the PCA stadium and Daljit vouched the pitch would produce a result.
"It is a result oriented track. The wicket will last five days and is prepared to produce result," he said.
"If you have good spinners, you can extract turn even on second day here," he added.
But the Mohali wicket, as it had done on more than one occasion in the past, could aid the seamers initially. It has rained overnight here and should there be more rains, batting first could become a difficult proposition.
"The weather has suddenly changed. If it rains tonight as well, we would have to see how much sweating is there on the track," Daljit said.
"Certainly the moisture and humidity levels have increased. And it will help the seamers on the first two days."
Two wickets have been prepared for the match, one of them greener than the other.
The curator, however, said whatever grass is there on the playing square is of recent growth.
"No match was played on this wicket in the last six weeks. Because of winter, there has been no grass. It has come on lately," Daljit said.
About the minor cracks on the track, he said, "they don't really matter much. If the cracks are smaller, they don't come off easily."
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