The Indian team management has not asked for a rank turner for the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa, beginning at the Eden Gardens on Friday, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Monday.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who arrived late on Sunday along with members of the squad returning from the white-ball series in Australia, inspected the Eden Gardens pitch on Monday morning, accompanied by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Ganguly also examined the surface later in the evening, after which the square was covered to protect it from dew and any potential rain.
Eden pitch expected to offer balanced contest: Sourav Ganguly
“Well, they haven’t asked for it yet, so I won’t be able to answer the question. It looks a very good one,” Ganguly said when asked if the Indian team had requested a turning wicket.
The Eden Gardens has already hosted two Ranji Trophy matches this season, with pitches playing on the slower side and offering little assistance to pacers. The pace-heavy Bengal attack initially struggled against Uttarakhand before Mohammed Shami’s fiery spell turned the game around.
According to CAB curator Sujan Mukherjee, the pitch has not been watered since Saturday but remains in good condition. “Gambhir was happy to see the wicket,” Mukherjee said, adding that turn could be expected “from day three.” He described the pitch as a good sporting surface with opportunities for both batters and bowlers.
Historically, the Eden Gardens pitch has not been a rank-turner and tends to become batting-friendly after the first session.
The visiting South African team, led by Keshav Maharaj, boasts a strong spin unit, including Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who recently impressed in a drawn series against Pakistan. India’s think-tank, meanwhile, will be mindful of their past defeat to New Zealand in Pune last year, when Mitchell Santner’s 13-wicket haul handed them a rare home series loss.
With the Eden Gardens hosting its first Test in six years, the CAB is eager to make the occasion memorable. The last Test here was India’s historic day-night Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.
Ganguly revealed that ticket sales have been promising, especially for the opening three days. “Thirty-four thousand priced tickets have been sold out; we expect a good turnout,” he said.
To commemorate the event, the CAB will host the Dalmiya Memorial Lecture on the eve of the match, with Sunil Gavaskar confirmed as the keynote speaker. Additionally, a special toss coin featuring Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela has been minted to mark the series.
(By PTI Inputs)
