Don’t expect a rank turner at the Eden Gardens

[teacup]

http://cricket.rediff.com/report/2010/feb/13/captain-dhoni-unhappy-with-eden-wicket.htm Dhoni not impressed with the pitch: Cheers Dalmiya and congratulations Steyn and South Africa!

I am sure Dhoni would have been impressed with the Nagpur pitch as it did take turn from day one.

[asterix]

I am sure Dhoni would have been impressed with the Nagpur pitch as it did take turn from day one.

Exactly. Nagpur pitch was taking turn from day one. But our useless and hyped, playing from heart spinners sucked. No point in getting panties in twist about Kolkata pitch will be turning or not because the Indian 'Turners' will be getting owned anyway..After Kumble's retirement, India has to depend on seam bowlers to win matches..

[Feed]

"Eden Pitch chaos might help us" : Smith Graeme Smith said South Africa would benefit from the controversy over the Eden Gardens pitch in the second and final Test. More... Saturday 13th February 2010 "Pitch chaos might help us" Graeme Smith said South Africa would benefit from the controversy over the Eden Gardens pitch in the second and final Test. The visiting Proteas lead 1-0 in the series and even a draw would be enough to clinch them the series and the number one Test rankings in the ICC charts. "It's really a great feeling. Not many teams get an opportunity to win series in India and in our two tours we have had that opportunity now," he said. "Going into the Eden Test with 1-0 up in the series...For many cricketers this is a life time opportunity to win a series in India. That really ticks you off and gets you motivated. This is something that you really want to achieve and that makes you really excited about it," the South African skipper added. The Eden Gardens pitch has been a major talking point ever since India's innings and six runs loss in Nagpur. The BCCI reportedly asked the Cricket Association of Bengal to prepare a turning track, a demand that was turned down. Smith said such a controversy would work to his team's advantage in the match. "There has been a lot of talk about the wicket. It looked pretty good yesterday. I am sure it will be a pretty good wicket as always here. Good Test wicket. Let's hope that this little distraction helps us," he said. India have only lost two Test series at home in the last decade, to South Africa in 2000 and Australia in 2004. Asked whether they were more concerned about winning the series or getting to the number one spot in ICC rankings, Smith said, "One takes care of the other." "We know in next five days, if we can produce really good cricket then rankings will take care of itself... Winning this series is certainly going to be a terrific thing at the end of your career," he added. He lavished praise on his pace spearhead Dale Steyn, who had a match haul of 10 wickets in their Nagpur victory. "He has been consistently good. He has been able to adapt to all the conditions he has played in. He has just matured as a cricketer and the way he thinks about the game. He is a great asset to have." Asked about a Steyn vs Gautam Gambhir battle, Smith said, "Gambhir has played a lot in the sub-continent, he is a good player of spin and has done well here. His test is going to be how he travels the world." Despite the huge margin of their win in Nagpur, Smith refused to take India lightly and expected the hosts to bounce back. "I don't expect India to change much in their combination they are used to playing. I guess one Test match loss and they are trying not to panic. From our perspective it's about executing our gameplans," he said. Indian bowling attack might have come a cropper in Nagpur but Smith said: "There is quality in Indian line-up. Zaheer, Harbhajan are the leading wicket takers for India in the last year or two. The quality is there."

[Vikas Bhatt]

It's politics time once again with waring factions of the board settling scores at the expense of our cricket team. If Pawar's boy Manohar once allowed for a series defeat at home against Aus to settle scores with Dalmiya, the latter now playing back the same game to allow a SA victory. Who needs enemies with officials like these?

[Lord]

so turner.but atleast the grass will ensure the pitch has bounce for spinners to exploit. I hope MSD doesnt go by stats of Nagpur test.Mishra should be picked.

[SachDan]

Speculation over Tendulkar meeting Eden curator In a sensational disclosure, a Bengali daily on Saturday claimed that the Indian team sent Sachin Tendulkar with a request to Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee that he should shave the grass off the pitch for the second cricket Test between India and South Africa, starting Sunday, but it was politely turned down. The veteran curator, however, categorically denied meeting Tendulkar. Mukherjee has been hogging the limelight over the last few days with a section of the media abuzz with reports that he had refused to entertain requests from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for preparing a turner to suit Indian spinners. When contacted by IANS, Mukherjee flatly denied having any conversation with Tendulkar. "I am not that big a person that Sachin will speak to me." Mukherjee, known to be a stickler, had angry exchanges with former selection committee chief Dilip Vengsarkar on issues concerning the wicket. On Friday, he asked two policemen to move away from the square as he feared they may stroll on to the Test pitch. India are trailing 1-0 in the two-Test series and are in a must-win situation not only to save the series but to retain their number one slot in world Test rankings. Interestingly, India were in the same situation two years ago when South Africans outplayed them in Ahmedabad, and won the second Test at Kanpur on a rank turner to level the series. The South Africans raised a stink over the pitch and lodged a protest with International Cricket Council (ICC). Bengal daily Aajkaal reported that Tendulkar approached Mukherjee with the request Friday only to be told by the octogenearian: "You are Sachin Tendulkar and the quality of your batting will not be affected whether there is grass on the wicket or not." Tendulkar then replied that he had come to speak to him on behalf of the team management. "It will be better if the grass is removed". However, Mukherjee reportedly told Tendulkar to focus on practice and tell his teammates that they should not worry so much about the grass. India's traditional strength lies in spin bowling, while South Africa are relying on their pacers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. In fact, Steyn's 10-wicket haul was largely responsible for India's innings defeat in the first Test at Nagpur. Link One can only laugh at this masala news :hysterical::hysterical:

[Gunner_Mania]

However, Mukherjee reportedly told Tendulkar to focus on practice and tell his teammates that they should not worry so much about the grass.

:haha::haha::haha::haha:

[flamy]

this is getting ridiculous

[Fontaine]

I hope the curator isn't blamed if India don't win this match. We already got a spin friendly track in the first match where the ball spun from day 1. If we lose this series it'll simply be because SA's bowlers like Steyn did so much better than our overy hyped, play from the heart, bowl from the gutter spinners.

[Watson87]

I would have fired the curator by now. What a jerk revealing all our tactics to the rest of the world. Also how dare he says this to God, absurd. "However, Mukherjee reportedly told Tendulkar to focus on practice and tell his teammates that they should not worry so much about the grass."

[Guest Hiten.]

I would have fired the curator by now. What a jerk revealing all our tactics to the rest of the world. Also how dare he says this to God, absurd. "However, Mukherjee reportedly told Tendulkar to focus on practice and tell his teammates that they should not worry so much about the grass."

It's obviously a masala news mate. Having it with some salt and pepper :giggle:

[Watson87]

It's obviously a masala news mate. Having it with some salt and pepper :giggle:

Hate the Indian media, even worse than Fox news

[SachDan]

this is getting ridiculous

Tendulkar requests Dalmiya to shave off Eden grass Kolkata, Feb 13 (PTI) With India facing a must-win situation to retain their numero uno Test status, Sachin Tendulkar today requested CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya to mow down the grass on the Eden track ahead of the second and final match against South Africa starting here tomorrow. According to Cricket Association of Bengal sources, a considerable amount of grass was shaved off from the pitch this evening after Tendulkar requested Dalmiya on behalf of the Indian team. "Tendulkar spoke to Dalmiya after India's practice today and requested the CAB chief to cut off the grass," claimed the source. However, Dalmiya's secretary Kunal Ghosh denied any such development. "Whole day, he (Dalmiya) was busy with the arrangements of the match. There was no question of meeting Tendulkar," Ghosh said. link Our media :mad:

[saneindian]

Aajkal is one of the best bengali tabloids. Remember they once published an interview of Dada where he was alleged to have called Sachin, Dravid and Laxman as Ram, Shyam, Jadu, Madu...