Anil Kumble would have been in a quandary had it not been for Harbhajan Singh.
A shoulder injury kept the Indian captain out of the Mohali Test and the replacement drafted in for him -- Amit Mishra -- made most of the opportunity, claiming seven wickets on debut, including a fiver.
However, with Kumble back in shape, Mishra would have been the one to get the axe, an unfair yet plausible option. Even coach Gary Kirsten was firm that he would go into the Ferozshah Kotla Test "with six batsmen" and not an extra spinner.
But with Harbhajan picking up a toe injury, things have taken yet another turn. And it now looks likely that Mishra will retain his place in the side, with Kumble coming in for Harbhajan.
The Indian captain preferred to play the waiting game though and tried to keep the suspense quotient (if there's any) till the hour before the match.
"I am 100 per cent fit and it is the same 12," he said. The second sentence was an encore. "It is the same 11 and then I come in."
And his reply pertaining to Harbhajan's chances only ensured ennui.
"He is still not sure. Depending on his fitness we will take a call," affirmed the captain. But doesn't the fact that Harbhajan bowled only a few deliveries (12-14 to be precise) at the nets and looked rather uncomfortable imply his absence from the squad?
"People try to assess fitness on the basis of the number of overs bowled in the nets," said Kumble, with characteristic sarcasm, before admitting, "He (Harbhajan) still has a bit of discomfort but still has some time to recover. It is a question of whether to push him.
"If we play two leg spinners will be a call we take only once we know if Harbhajan is fit or not. I think it a question of keeping the balance and Harbhajan is a key member for us and we will be hoping he will be fit by tomorrow morning."
So, thanks to the captain, the playing eleven remains an open secret (you can definitely read between the lines), but what is certain is Kumble himself will get yet another chance to add to his already impressive resume at this ground.
"As a team we have great memories of Kotla, and, for me personally, I have landmarks I can never forget," confessed Kumble, before being a tad circumspect.
"I have confidence in myself, the team has confidence in me and I have confidence in my team to go out there and do the job for us," he said. "I am sure with that kind of confidence going into this Test match we are fully confident we will be able to win the series here."
As for the team, they will definitely do with yet another landmark performance from the captain, one that ensures them the series win with one Test left.
