KOLKATA: Reverse swing could be a major factor at the Eden Gardens when India take on South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series from Friday. And who better than Jasprit Bumrah to make the old red ball swing late? The black soil pitch is quite hard without much grass four days before the Test starts and as per experts, there aren’t much indications that these characters will change drastically within this time.“Cracks are likely to appear here quite early, making the ball rough as the game progresses,” an expert told TOI. “That should help reverse swing, something which Bumrah will relish.”However, India will be aware that South Africa too have bowlers who can make the old ball talk and any condition will surely not be one-way traffic. “The wicket has consistent bounce and that will help the batters. In fact, it has all the makings of a good batting wicket,” he said.However, that can work for both teams. As South Africa proved in the ‘A’ match in Bengaluru, they have batters who can exploit good conditions too. Temba Bavuma had a good outing in Bengaluru. So did Zubayr Humza. And let’s not forget the likes of Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi, who have skills to negotiate Bumrah’s guiles. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will not be the only quality batters out there.
As the curators bounced the ball on the surface to test its consistency, one suddenly kept low. “That was a crack, which will be taken care of before the Test starts,” the expert assured.Although the wicket is expected to offer spin, it will not be a rank turner. Even though India’s spin attack is among the most formidable in the game currently, South Africa too have their own arsenal in Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer. India might have to approach this game a bit differently from how they did against West Indies.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had a look at the Eden wicket on Monday morning. They, however, did not offer any suggestions or directives. “They had a close look, discussed between themselves and left,” a member of the ground staff said. “They did not tell us anything.”Gambhir, however, hadn’t been too happy with the wicket in their last Test against West Indies in Delhi. The wicket had been on the slower side and Gambhir felt there should have been a bit more carry. The curators at the Eden assure of a better wicket with “something for everyone”. That would make the batters as well as the bowlers happy. After all, an even contest is what makes a match interesting.The expert also assured that it won’t be a three-day wicket. “We should see a proper five-day contest,” he said. Apparently some of the recent matches which have lasted less than three days (the Ahmedabad Test against West Indies to name one) haven’t gone down well with the broadcasters. They have complained to the BCCI about loss of revenue. The board is said to have conveyed to the host associations to make wickets that last the distance. “Although that cannot be assured, the curators always try to make wickets that do not break too fast.”Another issue at the Eden will be the light. Around this time of the year, the light starts fading here by 4 pm and a 9.30 am start would mean the floodlights might have to switched on towards the end. “That might alter the conditions a little,” the expert said.
