Eden Gardens pitch could be tricky

Kolkata : The Eden Gardens strip has a tinge of grass, but it could prove tricky due to off-the-air lateral movement induced by an evening breeze during the fourth one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka being played here tomorrow.

The dew factor could pose a few problems for the cricketers during the day-night exchange. It played havoc in the 1996 World Cup semifinal between the two sides when Indian wickets fell like nine pins as Sanath Jayasurya turned the ball square on an under-prepared track.

However, curator Prabir Mukherjee was confident that the wicket will be good for playing strokes.

‘Full of runs'

"One-day cricket is basically a batsman's game. It will be full of runs, though scoring 400 may not be possible," he said.

"It will be a firm wicket with good and even bounce. There will not be much lateral movement off the wicket," Mukherjee added. On the dew factor, the curator said the super sopper will be used twice to dry the outfield during the dinner break and in one of the drinks intervals.

"And if the captains agree, during the drinks breaks in the evenings, we can mop up the ground with a rope."

However, the evening breeze could be a determining factor, with its strength impacting the extent of the lateral off-air movement, he said.