Kolkata: A day after unruly crowd scenes were witnessed during the second game of the ongoing India versus South Africa T20 internationals, security was being intensified at the Eden Gardens, the venue for the upcoming final fixture of the three-match series, to prevent any recurrence, the authorities said on Tuesday.
The top brass of the Kolkata Police, including city commissioner Surojit Kar Purokayasta, held a meeting with the local organisers Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) during the day to discuss ways and means of preventing any breach of peace.
A four-tier security checking will be in place near the gates from where the spectators enter the ground. As part of enhancing security, it was decided to deploy more number of police personnel in the galleries and other strategic points to monitor crowd movement.
“We had a meeting with the top brass of Kolkata Police. There will be a lot more police officers on duty in the galleries and near the ground so as to avoid any such occurrences,” CAB treasurer Biswaroop Dey told media persons.
It may be a dead rubber, but for India it would be an opportunity to salvage lost pride as they take on Faf du Plessis’s team in the third and final Twenty20 International. The visitors have gulped back to back matches and taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
In both games, the Indians have lacked the will to win.
In the first contest at Dharamsala, the hosts were able to pile up a massive 199 on the board, but the somewhat inexperienced bowling line-up failed to keep the Proteas in check and J.P. Duminy — playing a valiant knock of 68 runs — took his side home with seven wickets in hand.
The second game at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack saw the Indian batting crumble like cookies for a mere 92. South Africa chased the total down quite easily, losing only four wickets.
But as they approach the last contest of the T20 series, the Indians would want to forget the Barabati debacle and focus on what is in store at Eden.
According to pitch curator Prabir Mukherjee and former India captain Sourav Ganguly, the Eden strip would be batting friendly. If the Indian batting clicks, one can expect a run deluge here from the likes of Rohit, Kohli and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
It will be the same for the tourists who have got the likes of AB de Villiers and Duminy in their ranks. If the pitch indeed favours the batsmen, it will turn into a ‘You miss, I hit’ contest.
But one has to keep in mind that Eden Gardens is no Dharamsala where the air is thin and the ball flies off the willow. Therefore, spinners might play a pivotal role.
