Indians take fresh guard on happy hunting ground

Eden Gardens has never been one of Sunil Gavaskar’s favourite grounds but the city’s reigning cricket deity would have hoped for some gold dust to have rubbed off from his predecessor.

For there is much at stake here, including the obvious series win. India have not won a series at home since 2002-03, when they beat the West Indies. Indeed, since that last Kolkata Test against the Caribbeans, they have just one win — at Mumbai against Australia — in six Tests.

Additionally, India haven’t beaten South Africa since 1996-97, at Kanpur.

And, on a personal note for the captain, he is yet to score a 100 in five Tests at the Eden Gardens.

His team, on the other hand, have had a very mediocre season, made all the more apparent by the glories of the 12 preceding months. Their one-day form has been abysmal and their Test results not much better.

What hasn’t helped matters is the attitude of the South Africans, who haven’t been prepared to roll over and die. They are here to compete, and will make India do the running. Kanpur, where the Indians set the pace but couldn’t quite sustain it, was a missed opportunity for the hosts and a moral victory for South Africa.

And that’s what their coach Ray Jennings thought. ‘‘They (India) had enough opportunities to put us under pressure. Especially when we were 150 for 4 in the first innings,’’ said Jennings looking to rub some salt into the home team’s wounds.

Yet if the cold Test statistics aren’t in India’s favour, the intangibles are. India’s Test season has seen several impressive performences and has lacked just one ingredient to hold them all together. remember, they were a day away from beating Australia at Chennai, and finally did so at Mumbai.

The spinners have been performing, especially Kumble, Zaheer seems to have found some of his rhythm and Kaarthick has proved better — if marginally so — than Parthiv. All that’s been missing is a solid performance from the middle order.

Ganguly acknowledged as much today. ‘‘Rahul’s scored runs, Sehwag and Gautam have also fared well. Eden is one of Laxman’s favourite grounds so we are hoping everything just clicks at the right time.’’

What will possibly aid Ganguly’s gang is the pitch, which looks more and more like a pitch at Sabina Park or Sharjah. The experts are looking at a dry pitch with a bit more bounce or, in Ganguly’s words, a ‘‘result pitch’’.

All India need to do is signal their positive intent. No better place to blossom than at Eden Gardens.