By Admin 
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly said on Monday that the Indian team management has not demanded a spin-friendly pitch for the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa starting on Friday at the Eden Gardens. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir arrived here late on Sunday night with members of the team playing the limited overs series in Australia. He inspected the Eden Gardens pitch along with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Monday morning.
Ganguly also inspected the pitch in the evening, after which the entire ground was covered to protect it from dew or unexpected rain. When Ganguly was asked whether the Indian team management had asked for a pitch conducive to spinners, he said, “They have not asked for it yet.” Therefore, I will not be able to answer this question. This looks a very good pitch.
Eden Gardens has hosted two Ranji Trophy matches so far this season and the pitches have been slow with little support for the fast bowlers.
CAB curator Sujan Mukherjee expressed satisfaction with the pitch. He said that Gambhir was also satisfied after seeing the pitch. According to Mukherjee, India’s head coach had asked when the pitch would start providing support to the spinners and he replied that turn could be expected ‘from the third day’.
Mukherjee said, “Both batsmen and bowlers will get help on this pitch. Spinners will also get help.” The current World Test champion South Africa team has left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj along with off-spinner Simon Harmer and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. These bowlers had recently performed well on the Pakistan tour.
After the defeat in the home series against New Zealand on a spinner-friendly pitch, the Indian team would like to completely avoid playing on a spinner-friendly pitch. CAB will also organize the Dalmiya Memorial Lecture on the eve of the match, in which batting great Sunil Gavaskar has confirmed his participation as the keynote speaker. Ganguly said that to commemorate this historic series, a special coin with the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela on both sides has been issued for the toss.