KOLKATA: In the beginning of the noughties, a Kolkata Test was as common as seeing people in this part of the country snacking on jhalmuri in newspaper-turned-containers. The tangy number's association with Bengal was such that films regularly showed that tongue-smacking mixture to establish it was being shot in this region.
Just like the jhalmuri, Eden Gardens' heady flavours meant the venue and the city remained in position A1 even considering India's gargantuan cricketing ecosystem. The inaugural match of the Asian Test Championships. A maiden pink ball India Test. One of the venues for Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series. In fact, between March 1998 and November 2019, it was the unofficial home of Indian Test cricket.
14 Tests in 21 years and change. No other Indian Test venue had hosted more than 11. There was, it seemed, a certain pull, an invisible magic associated with this venue. It didn't matter that BCCI presidents hailed from Mumbai, Nagpur or Chennai -- and these things matter an awful lot generally -- but Eden evoked a sense of nominative determinism to the Indian men's team. Bliss. Paradise.
But, then, suddenly, the lights were turned off, the music stopped and the band was sent home.
Until this weekend.
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It's not that Eden Gardens was completely ignored. It got a couple of plum matches during the 2023 World Cup including one of the two semifinals. But big-time red-ball cricket is a different beast. For almost six years, they saw Indian cricket's B and C centres host matches. New-age venues like Dharamsala started to grow in prominence while the one-time crown jewel of Indian cricket was seemingly pushed to the periphery.
In November 2019, on the sidelines of the pink-ball Test between India and Bangladesh, the venue received a fresh coat of paint as it was decked up for the visit of then PM Sheikh Hasina to the city. Hasina and West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee, inaugurated that Test.
Compared to that occasion, the Eden wore a lazier, more unhurried look to proceedings two days out from the series opener against South Africa. As a gentle sun slowly begun to take its effect, the Indian players limbered up in the outfield. Jasprit Bumrah started the session with a couple of gentle deliveries. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan, expected to be the team's top-order, took it in turns to bat.
In a way, the identity of the top three captures not only India's recent transition but also Kolkata's absence in India's red-ball calendar. Rahul has featured in one game but the other two haven't. In fact, the only survivor from that 2019 game is Ravindra Jadeja. The other 10 have either retired or have not been picked.
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Considering how other state associations have played a role in putting bums on seats for Tests, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) are keen to do their bit. Per the official ticketing partner, all tickets for the first three days have gone. It's not a surprise because day tickets were available for as low as `60 (the cheapest season tickets could have been purchased for `300).
On Wednesday, scores of people were outside the Stadium trying to source them. Some were haggling with the security guards outside the club house. When the first fans walk through the turnstiles on Friday morning, they will likely be greeted by a strip that seems to be a throwback to an earlier time when spin would take time to get into the game. Two days out from the game, the deck didn't have any of the telltale signs of uneven patches -- basically the lack of male pattern baldness -- running across the surface. It wore an even colour but it was left open to the elements. But there doesn't seem to be any danger of it breaking up early as afternoon temperatures were mild.
The Proteas coach, Shukri Conrad, expected the pacers to have a say on the surface. "If history is to be believed," he said in the press conference, "there's always something for the fast bowlers at Eden Gardens. "I expect the fast bowlers on both sides to have an impact on the game, especially in the first couple of days and for spin to come in slightly later."
The time for talking, though, is almost over. In under two days, the hosts will play the world champions at a venue hoping to catch the headlines again.