Kolkata: Eden Gardens track had produced a lot of turn during the matches of the recently-held ODI World Cup.
With the IPL knocking on the door, the question is whether the iconic ground will continue churning out low-scoring games.
Going by the few practice matches that Kolkata Knight Riders played among themselves at the Eden Gardens, batters could find a much more friendlier pitch awaiting them. The likes of Phil Salt, Nitish Rana and Manish Pandey made merry with the bat, while spinners Varun Chakravarthy, Suyash Sharma and Sunil Narine haven’t found the going always easy. The former two went for a lot of runs in a practice game on Sunday, while Narine used his experience well. The West Indian was even seen guiding the younger spinners.
The team think-tank of mentor Gautam Gambhir and head coach Chandrakant Pandit will surely strategise with the spinners, on the way forward for them.
Incidentally, Gambhir as KKR captain, used the spinners quite intelligently during the two tournaments that they won. Gambhir’s inputs will be crucial for KKR’s fortunes.
The home team will always play to its strength and KKR have some good seamers in the ranks. That includes Mitchell Starc, the experienced Australian who is the costliest player in the history of IPL auctions. Incidentally, Starc will have a crop of young pacers as his partners, who will surely learn from him.
Sources will tell you that the Eden pitch will have something for everyone. Although T20 cricket is a batter’s game, spinners have proved their worth time and again.
The character of the Eden track has always been helpful for spinners. Yet the IPL over the years has seen some great innings at this venue. Batters will be looking to leave their mark at the Eden. KKR, being the home team, in particular would want a pitch that produces runs. A thrilling chase is what the fans want and Gambhir-Pandit would not want a rank turner with uneven bounce.
Something for everyone would be the ideal situation, even if the batters get a little more.