Kolkata: The Iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the final match of the T20I series between India and New Zealand. Although the situation of Covid-19 around the country has been relaxed a bit, but BCCI and CAB aren’t taking anything too casually.
As per reports, Abhishek Dalmiya, the CAB president stated on Saturday that both the sides will remain in a “Bio-Bubble” till the match proceedings with players are being scheduled to enter even from the main gate of the stadium but from Gate no.17 where apart from the players and the staff, everyone’s presence is prohibited. Both the squads will directly to go the dressing room from the bus and then to the ground, repeating the same while returning.
Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will ring the bell before the start of the play on the Sunday evening.Facilites of necessary precautions will be there for crowd as well in the stands with each and every seats having mask and hand sanitizers for the crowd.
Although, the series has been clinched, the match itself is quite crucial for India as the new head coach Rahul Dravid will definitely look for a clean sweep. Considering this, the pitch itself will play a crucial part will due being a notable element after the dusk.
As it was seen in Ranchi in last game, the bowlers were having a tough time gripping the leather and as the trend goes in Indian conditions, the sides batting second usually does have better chance to win the game despite even chasing big totals. Dravid alongside batting coach Vikram Rathore were seen on the Saturday afternoon taking a look at the pitch at Eden Gardens. The chief curator Sujan Mukherjee gave a hint about the character of the surface as well,
” It looks like a good solid pitch with lot of runs. We are expecting a side to score above 160.” Mukherjee added.
The new coaching management might look for a few options in this series which they can utilise in the next year’s T20 World Cup in Austrlia. Venkatesh Iyer is certainly one of those probables as he is being as a handy option for the all-rounder spot with his swashbuckling batting prowess which was seen in the IPL this season alongside his useful bowling in the domestic season for his state Madhya Pradesh.
Also India’s recent concern in the middle order where the “Men in Blue” felt the lack of stability and the power to clinch matches under difficult situations. In the bowling unit too, seamer Harshal Patel who grabbed the Man of the Match in his debut, might become good option at the death with change of lengths and variations in speed being a lethal weapon.
