Just over a month remains for the first Test at Eden Gardens in six years. And amidst all the anticipation and attention, the Eden pitch occupies a central place.
The India-South Africa Test is scheduled from November 14. The Eden pitch has been on the livelier side in the last two Tests at the venue – against Bangladesh (pink-ball Test) and Sri Lanka in 2019 and 2017, respectively.
The surface will be prepared afresh at least a week before the Test starts. But, with the city experiencing sporadic rain over the last few days and the prevailing gloomy weather conditions, pitch preparation at the Eden has been somewhat affected.
Before the India-South Africa Test, Eden is scheduled to host the first two Ranji Trophy matches of Bengal from October 15 (against Uttarakhand) and October 25 (versus Gujarat). But owing to the weather, the preparation of the wicket for those matches has also been affected.
“You require at least a couple of days of proper sunshine to have the entire ground in proper condition. Unfortunately, the weather has been far from ideal lately, and it wasn’t possible to get the preparation underway.
“Hopefully, we’ll have some sunshine in the coming days. There’s still a little bit of time left as well,” curator Sujan Mukherjee told The Telegraph.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), too, isn’t overtly worried about the situation. “In seven days, we should be able to get the pitch ready for the Ranji matches, while we’ll also be having a fortnight in hand ahead of the Test.
“So, there’s no reason to be too worried,” a CAB official said. “Besides, the wicket has also undergone pre-season rolling last month.”
That’s easier said than done. The Sourav Ganguly-headed panel at the CAB would expect the weather to remain normal in the build-up to the Test.
Batting track
The just-concluded Ahmedabad Test against the West Indies did witness some help for the quicks on Day I when Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah shared seven wickets among themselves to bundle the visitors out for 162.
As for the Eden Test, the buzz is that a good batting track – which is a bit on the slower side – could be prepared for Shubman Gill and Co. to negate the reigning Test champions’ pace attack. “One may come across a pitch with a grass content not too lively, so that it aids batters more. In that case, the bounce, too, will be slightly on the lower side,” a CAB insider stated.
Curator Mukherjee, however, argued: “Even the Indian team has good fast bowlers. So, it’s not necessary that bounce has to be compromised with.”
At least a week before the Test begins, BCCI chief curator Ashish Bhowmik and one of his colleagues from the Board are set to be present at the Eden and monitor the preparation of the 22-yard strip. With World Test Championship points up for grabs, India would like some home advantage.