Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly has firmly dismissed the growing chatter around India requesting a rank turner for the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa, starting Friday at the Eden Gardens. With speculation swirling—especially given the Proteas’ experienced spin trio—Ganguly’s clarification brings some early calm ahead of what promises to be a high-stakes contest.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who returned from Australia with members of the white-ball squad on Sunday evening, inspected the Eden surface on Monday morning alongside batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Later in the day, Ganguly himself visited the centre wicket before the ground staff covered the square to protect it from early-evening dew and any unexpected showers.
When asked if India had demanded a spin-friendly surface, Sourav Ganguly responded with characteristic brevity. “Well, they haven’t asked for it yet. So I won’t be able to answer the question. It looks a very good wicket.”
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Eden Gardens has already hosted two Ranji Trophy matches this season, and both games produced relatively slow tracks with minimal early help for pacers. Bengal found themselves challenged in the opener against Uttarakhand until Mohammed Shami delivered a match-turning burst that shifted momentum decisively.
Despite the pitch not being watered since Saturday, CAB curator Sujan Mukherjee remains satisfied with its current condition. He noted that Gambhir seemed “happy to see the wicket” during his inspection and had specifically asked when it might begin to turn. Mukherjee told him spinners would likely come into play from Day 3—consistent with Eden’s long-standing character.
Traditionally, Eden Gardens does not offer an extravagant turn from the start. The wicket usually provides mild movement in the opening hour before settling down into a reliable, batting-friendly track. Mukherjee added that spin could arrive a little earlier depending on weather conditions and natural wear, assuring that the pitch would be “a good sporting wicket with help for both batters and bowlers.”
South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, aren’t taking anything lightly. Their spin unit—Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthusamy—was excellent in their recent drawn series against Pakistan. India, on the other hand, are wary after last year’s loss to New Zealand in Pune, where Mitchell Santner’s 13 wickets stunned the hosts.
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This Test marks Eden Gardens’ return to the format after six long years, the previous being the historic day-night Test against Bangladesh in 2019. With 34,000 tickets already sold, anticipation is soaring. The CAB has lined up multiple events, including the Dalmiya Memorial Lecture featuring Sunil Gavaskar as the keynote speaker, and a special coin toss engraved with the images of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to commemorate the occasion.
