Back at Eden, Rohit looks to
FOND MEMORIES
Against Bengal in a Ranji Trophy group league match 2012: Scored his maiden IPL century, an unbeaten 109 against KKR 2013: Against West Indies in his debut Test 2014: A record against
Sri Lanka in an ODI match 2015: A 98* in the first match of the IPL v KKR KOLKATA: Owning a ground statistically doesn’t happen quickly, certainly not without a great Test record. Ask Brian Lara who practically lords over the Antigua Recreation Ground, or Mahela Jayawardene who has the most Test runs at the SSC, Colombo.
VVS Laxman’s name is still taken in the same breath as Eden Gardens, but of late, spectators here have been swooning to the bat swing of Rohit Sharma. If there is a match at Eden that involves Rohit, he will score heavily. That includes Tests as well.
GOOD HUNTING GROUND For all the talk that Rohit gets an unusually long rope in Tests, Kolkata must be a place where he should back himself most. He has two Test centuries to his KOLKATA:
Rahul injured his right hamstring while running between the wickets in the first Test at Kanpur. Also called up was Haryana offspinner Jayant Yadav, who will replace fast bowler Ishant Sharma — down with chikungunya. Gambhir considers Eden Gardens his second home, thanks to a successful stint with Kolkata Knight Riders that has seen him win two IPL titles.
Since early in the morning, there were rumours that Gambhir might be called up as replacement for Rahul. In fact, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh had appeared for a fitness test earlier in the day at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.