Kolkata: Following an invincible show in the ICC World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma & Co landed in Kolkata Friday evening. They are scheduled to take on South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Soon after reaching the city, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid, accompanied by batting coach Vikram Rathore, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, went to the Eden Gardens to have a look at the 22-yards on which the match will be played.
The Men in Blue support staff spoke to curator Sujan Mukherjee, and he checked the pitch. While doing so, he bumped into another former India and Bengal player Ashoka Dinda while leaving Eden. Both exchanged pleasantries. It is learnt that the India-South Africa match will be played on the same strip on which the match between Bangladesh and the Netherlands was played.
Curator Sujan Mukherjee said the pitch will offer huge runs. "Everything will depend on the application of the cricketers," he said.
India and South Africa are placed first and second, respectively in the points table. The Indian cricket team is undefeated in the World Cup so far while the Proteas lost one match against the unfancied Netherlands. India have already made the last four stages by winning all seven matches. As a result, the aim of the 'Men in Blue' will be under less pressure to perform at the 67000-capacity Eden Gardens.
South Africa, on the other hand, are in a fast rhythm, and have one foot in the semi-finals winning six out of seven engagements. Over-zealous cricket fans gathered at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to get a glimpse of their favourite cricketers.
South Africa arrived in the city on Friday afternoon. After defeating New Zealand, they are ready to face the Indian challenge at Eden. The Indian team reached Kolkata after defeating Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, a demand for tickets is high in Kolkata. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah will also be present at the ground on November 5 to witness the India vs South Africa match.
Also, the high-voltage match on Sunday coincides with former India captain Virat Kohli's birthday. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has made various plans to celebrate the megastar batter's birthday but was denied permission by the world cricket's governing body — the International Cricket Council (ICC). Still, CAB is preparing a big-sized cake for the talismanic batter. It has not been decided where the cake-cutting ceremony will take place.
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