The air of invincibility that pervades the Indian team in a home series has suddenly given way to a sense of trepidation. More than the task of living up to the challenge of the world Test champions South Africa, it is the uncertain nature of the Eden Gardens wicket which has kept Shubman Gill’s side cautious, if not concerned.
If India had felt the blues during those dying moments of The Oval Test more than three months ago, it certainly reverberated right through their practice sessions in the lead-up to their series opener from Friday.
The think-tank’s worry is reflected in the uncertainty over the composition of
the playing XI. While Dhruv Jurel for Nitish Reddy is already a done deal, they are still undecided on the third spinner — a toss-up between Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. The temptation to include an all-rounder when a wrist spinner would always be considered essential has kept the options open. It’s possible that Kuldeep’s wretched luck will continue.
While the “changing nature” of the pitch has contributed to the delay in their choice, South Africa have more or less made up their mind to go in with three pacers, considering the bounce and carry on the wicket. The fast bowlers are sure to enjoy their share of the pie before the spinners come into play.
The early morning moisture, along with the wind blowing across the ground, will aid the fast bowlers in terms of swing and seam movement. Similarly, reverse swing will turn heads in the late afternoon session, as was the case in 2012 when James Anderson and Steven Finn’s match-winning spells made it look easy for England.
The scars of the whitewash at the hands of New Zealand last season are still fresh in memory and were reflected in the team management’s refusal to play on turners, as had been the norm for several years. Such is the nature of the Eden wicket that unless it is intentionally allowed to crumble from Day I, the first couple of days will aid the pacers.
Gautam Gambhir knows it first hand from his experience as KKR captain and then as mentor. It has lost much of its pace and lively nature since, but still the pacers have grabbed 68 per cent of the wickets to fall in the last five Tests. A similar trend was noticed in the two Ranji matches last month at this venue.
The fear of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen wreaking havoc has been haunting the Indians, their exploits in England notwithstanding. If they decide to go in with a third pacer in Corbin Bosch or Wiaan Mulder, it could get pretty hostile for the Indians.
This aspect has been playing on the team management’s mind since their arrival in the city, resulting in the inclusion of an extra batter in Dhruv Jurel. Perhaps the havoc a certain Dale Steyn wreaked in the past could also be playing in their minds.
This is Rabada’s third visit to the country as part of a Test team. He is far more experienced and can make the most of even the slightest hint of pace. The wily pacer, who only had two wickets from three matches on his maiden Test tour to India in 2015, has since developed into a potent weapon, picking up 338 wickets in 70 matches at a strike-rate of 39.5.
Considered one of the most consistent wicket-taking bowlers, he has the big-match temperament and finished the WTC final at Lord’s with nine wickets. The conditions might just inspire him to bring his best to the Eden.
“In this part of India, light goes off a little early, so we have to keep that in mind. Generally, fast bowlers get a bit of help in the morning and evening. Once we assess the wicket tomorrow (Friday), we’ll decide accordingly,” Gill said.
However, he did not rule out the pacers’ influence. “Reverse swing plays a big part if it’s a dry wicket. During the 2024 series against England, the pacers took crucial wickets even as the pitches were spin-friendly,” the India captain said.
“On wickets like these, especially towards the end of the year, there’s early moisture. If you can get the ball to reverse, fast bowlers are always in the game.
“There will be difficult moments. But as a team, we have shown that whenever there are difficult moments, we have handled them well. As far as the wicket is concerned, it is a typical Indian wicket, hopefully, it will be a good match,” Gill said.
Bavuma also didn’t discount the swing factor. “The ball does seem to swing here, probably a little bit more than what we are accustomed to playing in India. So there’s obviously the consideration of the extra pacer, but obviously in the subcontinent, you want to make sure that you have the resources from a spin point of view,” said Bavuma.
But India do have Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to provide inspirational spells. India are still likely to go in with a three-pronged spin attack, hoping against hope to extract maximum benefits on the final two days of the Test.
Gill’s luck factor, or the lack of it, with the toss could also be decisive in the circumstances.
