The dip in interest in case of a non-India game aside, Tuesday being the occasion of Doljatra also gave an impression that Eden Gardens would wear a deserted look on the eve of the South Africa-New Zealand semi-final.

Obviously, the usual hustle of a contest featuring India wasn’t quite there, but one did come across a bit of a hubbub on the Cricket Association of Bengal premises and at the Eden when the two teams honed their skills for Wednesday’s clash. It will thus be quite surprising if at least 35,000 don’t turn up for the first semi-final.

As for the two sides, both the Proteas and the Kiwis looked quite relaxed as they understand the importance of taking a fresh guard. Yes, South Africa had beaten New Zealand comprehensively when the two teams had met in the group stage in Ahmedabad. So, Aiden Markram and his teammates do know what it takes to keep the New Zealanders under the cosh.

(l-r) South Africa opener and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock plays a bit of football during the Proteas’ practice session on the eve of the semi-final. Spinner all-rounder Rachin Ravindra warms up for Wednesday’s semi-final against South Africa

Having said so, the Black Caps, too, are a different beast when it comes to the knockout stages of a World Cup. One major plus point of New Zealand is they rarely show nerves in these knockout matches, while being gracious enough even if termed as the “underdogs.”

“Yeah, we’ve had that tag for a long time. For us, though, we’re here now and we back ourselves on one-off games against most teams, being able to adapt as quickly as we can to what’s in front of us.

“South Africa look like a very good outfit as they’ve shown and I guess they’re in the same boat as us now. It’s one game and you’re into a final,” skipper Mitchell Santner said.

The Kiwis are also optimistic of the availability of their lead quick Matt Henry, who rejoind the squad on Tuesday night after flowing back home following the England game for the birth of his second child. “He’ll obviously have a little run around in the morning. So, hopefully, he’s good to go,” Santner stated.

Talking about the Eden pitch, a different surface will be in use on Wednesday, though the conditions should more or less remain the same. Having a dry look with a bit of grass over it, the surface should aid batters a lot more just as it did in the India-West Indies game.

Left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Santner himself may have a key role to play in these conditions. But Santner’s drift and his ability to deceive batsmen in terms of flight gives him an edge.