Reverse swing will play a part in the series-opening clash between India and South Africa. The upcoming Test, which is scheduled to commence on November 14, at Eden Gardens will be the first one at the venue in a span of six years.
Sources have also communicated that the deck will have good bounce for the bowlers, but will start slowing down by the midway stage. Moreover, the black soil pitch does not possess any live grass four days ahead of the contest, as per an ESPNcricinfo report. The pitch is
also expected to be more lively as compared to the one at the Arun Jaitley Stadium where the second Test of the West Indies series was played.
The pitch at Eden Gardens will be expected to roughen up quicker than usual. There is an encouraging statistic from the venue from which pacers can gain immense motivation from. In the last 15 years, fast bowlers have taken 61% of the wickets at the venue - 97 wickets in six red-ball matches.
The cooler temperatures in the first and last hours of play could also play a part in aiding lateral movement. It is also expected that batting becomes tougher as the match progresses despite Eden Gardens possessing one of the most lush outfields out of the venues across India.
As for South Africa, they arrive in India on the back of an all-format series against Pakistan. The two teams played a two-match series as a part of that assignment, with the red-ball series ending in a 1-1 draw. However, South Africa's spinners - Senuran Muthusamy (Player of the Series), Keshav Maharaj (Player of the Match in Rawalpindi) and Simon Harmer (second-highest wicket-taker in the series) - starred in different capacities.
The Proteas have played only three Tests in Kolkata until now. They won on their first visit in 1996, but ended up losing in 2004 and 2010. The last Test played at the Eden Gardens was the pink-ball India-Bangladesh encounter in 2019. The last red-ball fixture at the venue dates back to 2017.
