The Story
Inclement weather condition is perhaps the only non-cricketing element that hogs the limelight more often. After making an appearance during the first ODI in Chennai, the rain gods seem prepared to make a larger impact when India and Australia meet for the second ODI at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
The two sides will be meeting at this venue after a long time – 14 years to be precise – after having last played against each other in the TVS Cup final in 2003.
The concerns about adequate facilities and whether the ground staff has sufficient time to prepare the pitch amid persistent rain has become the talking point.
The worries seem fair considering Eden Gardens’ failure to cope with the water filled outfield which caused the T20I between India and South Africa in October 2015 to be abandoned without a ball bowled.
The preparation of the ground staff came under scanner after they failed to prepare the playing area against following a 30-minute downpour that occurred five hours before the scheduled start.
The ground’s drainage system has been upgraded in 2016.
Pitch under covers
The pitch has been under covers for most of the time since the last weekend. This week also saw a spell of rain which forced the pitch to remain under covers on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
The MET department has predicted rain on the match day.
Sujan Mukherjee, the chief curator at Eden Gardens, believes that the 22-yard strip is a sporting one and will aide both batsmen and bowlers.
Meanwhile, Mukherjee’s colleague Ashish Browmick fears that the pitch may be slow if it remained under the covers for long.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is Cricket Association of Bengal president, was supervising work carried out by the ground staff on Monday. He has expressed full confidence that the rains will cause any serious effect on Thursday’s second ODI.
Australia seamers not excited
Cricketing conditions at Eden Gardens has changed since the time the pitch was re-laid ahead of the 2016-17 season. The venue has offered increased help for fast bowlers, and impressive movement for the white ball was witnessed when Indian face England in the most recent ODI played at this ground.
However, despite the help off the pitch, the game was high scoring.
Australian are well aware of the fact. Opening bowlers Coulter-Nile, who ripped open India’s top order, and Pat Cummins, the pace spearhead, both played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and admitted that it wouldn’t be easy to deal with the Indians at the iconic venue on Thursday.
The favorable conditions in Chennai won’t be witnessed again most likely if the Australia assumption comes true.
“It’s flat and a very high-scoring ground,” he said.
“It gets very loud and the crowd gets right behind the home team. Unfortunately that won’t be us this time, but hopefully, it’s high scoring and a fantastic match to watch.”