At lunch on the third day, India are 10/2 chasing a tricky target of 124 on an explosive Eden Gardens pitch that has become the talking point of the game. Since the pitches were relaid back in 2016-17, they have always been pace-friendly with a good covering of grass, thereby helping seamers and also helping batters to trust the bounce on offer.
However, the ongoing Test match has seen a throwback pitch that took spin from the first day itself. Jasprit Bumrah did pick up a fifer on the opening day but uneven bounce was on offer from the afternoon session itself and spinners joined the party soon enough. This game is set to end within three days and the track has been next to impossible for batters.
Curator Sujan Mukherjee has been criticized heavily on social media and by the pundits but Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) boss Sourav Ganguly has blamed the Indian team for the disaster. According to Ganguly, the surface being used was made according to the demands of the head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill.
"The pitch is what the Indian camp wanted," said Ganguly in a chat with News18 Bangla
"This is what happens when you don’t water the pitch for four days. Curator Sujan Mukherjee can’t be blamed."
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Temba Bavuma (55*) is the only batter to get to fifty in this game with KL Rahul's 39 being the only other score of 30-plus. As the game has gone on, the wicked inconsistent bounce has been the biggest threat for batters from both sides.