"No BCCI diktat, sporting track for Kolkata Test"

After the Nagpur humiliation, rumours were making rounds that the curator of the Eden Gardens – venue for the second Test – is being put under pressure by the BCCI to prepare a turner so that the home team can salvage their pride as well the number-one Test status.

But Prabir Mukherjee, the man who has been looking after the Eden Gardens wicket since last 20 years, denied receiving any such call from the board.

“I haven’t got any instructions from the BCCI. I’m trying to prepare what should be an ideal Test wicket,” Mukherjee said.

In fact, the curator got a little agitated when asked if he supported the idea of preparing spin-friendly tracks that would assist the Indian spinners.

“I don’t know how to prepare a spin-friendly wicket. According to me, spinner-friendly wicket is under-prepared wicket, which is a cheating to the game of cricket and the public. You’re selling tickets for five days and the match gets over in three days.”

So then what is expected to welcome the two teams as they travel to the eastern part of India for the second half of the World Championship of Cricket?

“The wicket will have an even bounce that gives equal advantage to the batsmen and bowlers and there will be a good grass cover as well.

“The surface will start cracking up from the fourth day onwards and that’s when the spinners will come into play,” he said, stressing that “The match will last for full five days”.

In 2008, after the Proteas pacers annihilated India in Ahmedabad, BCCI dished out a dust-bowl in Kanpur so that India could save the series. Harbhajan Singh and company, on cue, ran through the South Africans and the match was over inside three days.

The current scenario is exactly the same. If anything, the stakes are much higher this time around. If India lose or draw the second Test, they not only hand the series but also their Test supremacy to South Africa.