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The Eden Gardens has been one ground that has seen the West Indies at their dominant best; the visitors have won three out seven Tests that they have played there, while losing just one in the bargain. But even this enviable record seems unlikely to save Carl Hooper's men from the ignominy of being whitewashed by the Indians. Going into the third Test, the home side continue to remain the better team by a country mile. They have the batsmen to score the runs, the bowlers to claim the wickets, not to mention the advantage of playing on home-made pitches. With this being the case, it is not surprising that I feel that Sourav Ganguly's men will complete the 3-0 rout and thereby ensure that their skipper will join Mohammad Azharuddin as India's winningest skipper ever. Ganguly himself will be keen to achieve the feat in front of his adoring home crowd, who have stood by him through thick and thin. The Eden Gardens was the scene of his greatest triumph, when VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh scripted what must rate as the mother of all turnarounds in cricketing history, securing India the second Test against the Australians in 2001. It is only fitting, then, that the famed ground should also witness his being formally anointed as the most successful of India's skippers. The Prince of Kolkata can take a lot of credit for moulding this Indian team into a closely-knit and fighting unit. He has always been aggressive and has backed his players to the hilt. The way he has nursed his young stars into match-winning cricketers will be something he will always be given credit for. Ahead of the Test, Ganguly expressed the hope that he would score his first hundred on his home ground and play an important role in securing the Indian clean sweep. I only hope that his luck turns and helps him have his wish. A heartening soundbite to emerge from another of Ganguly's press- conferences, the Indian captain said that from his reading of the Kolkata pitch, he was confident that it would last the full distance. That indeed is assuring, considering the nature of the wickets in the first two matches. Hopefully a sporting pitch will also inspire Carl Hooper's men into giving their best and fighting the good fight. Though an Indian win is celebrated by fans around the country, they would also like to see a closely fought Test for a change. Talking about the pitches brings me to another of my pet grouses - the unhealthy trend of us looking towards foreign shores to fix each and every one of our cricketing problems. I just cannot fathom the reasoning behind the BCCI's decision to seek the help of a New Zealander in relaying the pitches at all our venues. Considering the results at the Wankhede and the MA Chidambaram stadiums, it has proven an exercise in futility. © CricInfo |
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