Overview
- Four days out, an ESPNcricinfo inspection cited by CricTracker described a black-soil surface with no live grass, with expectations of early bounce, lateral movement in cooler hours, and progressive roughening.
- Reverse swing is forecast to be influential early, with batting likely to become tougher as the contest wears on.
- Over the past 15 years at Eden Gardens, fast bowlers have taken 61% of wickets in six red-ball matches, even as venue record books are led by spinners Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, and Bishen Singh Bedi.
- India play their first Test at the ground since the 2019 pink-ball match versus Bangladesh, with the last red-ball Test there in 2017 and an overall record of 13 wins and 9 losses in 42 Tests.
- South Africa arrive from a Pakistan tour where the red-ball series was drawn 1-1 and spinners Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, and Simon Harmer stood out, while their Kolkata Test record reads one win (1996) and two defeats (2004, 2010).