On Tuesday, four days before the start of the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa in Kolkata, the Indian team kept an optional training session at the Eden Gardens. Only a select few showed up, which included captain Shubman Gill and the head coach Gautam Gambhir, who only arrived in the city on Monday following a long flight from Australia, where India played a T20I series last week.
After the end of the three-hour-long training session, where only seven players had turned up, as the likes of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal and Axar Patel skipped, the coaching staff gathered at the centre of the wicket for a long pitch inspection.
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According to a report by the new agency, PTI, Gill and bowling coach Morne Morkel checked the firmness of the track, and based on their expressions, "the management did not appear entirely pleased with the surface." Gill summoned pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee for a 15-minute chat. The surface, left unwatered for the past week, looked dry and brown with a few faint patches of grass.
Later in the evening, after South Africa finished with their spin-focused training at the ground, newly-announced CAB president Sourav Ganguly walked to the centre to inspect the track himself, before having a discussion with Sujan. The main pitch was still left dry, but the groundsmen watered the adjoining squares. Ganguly has already clarified that India made no request for a "rank turner".
{{/usCountry}}Later in the evening, after South Africa finished with their spin-focused training at the ground, newly-announced CAB president Sourav Ganguly walked to the centre to inspect the track himself, before having a discussion with Sujan. The main pitch was still left dry, but the groundsmen watered the adjoining squares. Ganguly has already clarified that India made no request for a "rank turner".
{{/usCountry}}The iconic venue hosted two Ranji Trophy games this domestic season, where pacers Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep initially struggled on the opening day before Shami turned things around once reverse swing came into play.
The touring South African side have a great mix of fast bowlers and spinners in the side. While the pace department is spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, the other variety - Simon Harmer (13), Senuran Muthusamy (11), and Keshav Maharaj (9)- had put on a series-levelling show in Pakistan last month, claiming 33 wickets between themselves. Muthusamy, who also scored 106 runs, was named the Player of the Series.