The Indian team is returning to Test cricket after a long white-ball series in Australia and all eyes are on Kolkata. Test cricket is returning to the iconic venue after six years and fans have already ensured that the 34,000 available tickets for the first three days are sold out.
In an exclusive conversation with RevSportz, pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee made it abundantly clear that creating a sporting wicket is his priority.
“When I first became the pitch curator of this Eden wicket, I was clear that I wanted this to be a surface that both players and fans enjoyed. I didn’t want fans, who paid high prices for the tickets, to come and see a boring game.” said Mukherjee
Against the World Test Champions South Africa, the pitch factor will prove to be decisive with regard to who gets the upper hand. The curator revealed that while the Indian management wished for the track to assist the spinners, it won’t do so abruptly.
“It will turn, but not that abruptly. They (Indian management) wanted it to spin, but I can’t offer much of it here. I reassured them, ‘you will get a good wicket, it will turn, you don’t need to worry about it’.”
Mukherjee also revealed his conversation with the South African captain, “He (Temba Bavuma) said ‘we too have three good spinners’, they are the World Test Champions, you have to keep that in mind, too. Remember what happened against New Zealand when India played on a rank turner. He (Bavuma) also told me that it looks like a good wicket.”
The curator observed that he wanted to give the Indian team an advantage, and he has done whatever is possible from his side to adhere to their requests. “When I make the wicket for the Indian team, I give some favour to them in whatever way I can.”
The Eden Gardens wicket also has a tinge of grass. Mukherjee noted that he will not be shaving the grass any further. From the looks of it, it could be another of those classic Eden Gardens wickets that is set to assist the pace bowlers to start with and then show signs of wear and tear.
It will be interesting to see what playing XI the Indian management comes up with. Will they plan to go in with Kuldeep Yadav, or stick to the three pacers and two spinners ploy that they employed in England? Will Dhruv Jurel find a place in the team? In that context, will he replace Nitish Kumar Reddy? Some of the questions will be answered at the practice session today, where for the first time ahead of the series the entire squad will turn up.