Tourists hope to stretch winning record

KOLKATA: Pakistan are perfectly placed to extend their unbeaten stretch against India at the Eden Gardens on Thursday (today) as they look to take an unassailable lead over the hosts in the three-match ODI series.

The Pakistanis, who beat India by six wickets in the first One-day International in Chennai on Sunday, have an all-win record against India at the prestigious ground as they have claimed victory in all five matches played between the two rivals here so far.

Pakistan’s winning spree began on a pleasant February evening back in 1987 when Salim Malik neutralised a century by Krishnamachari Srikkanth with a 36-ball 72 that gave Pakistan a stunning two-wicket victory.

In their previous encounter here, Salman Butt – the former opener who fell from grace following a spot-fixing scandal in 2010 – hit a match-winning ton.

When Pakistan last met India at the magnificent Eden Gardens more than eight years ago, Inzamam-ul-Haq was at the helm of the visiting team that cruised to a six-wicket triumph in that game.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the current Pakistan captain, wasn’t even part of the line-up that won the BCCI Platinum Jubilee match on November 13, 2004. Only three members of that team — Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal – are still in the playing eleven that would take on the Indians in the second One-day International here on Thursday.

Winds of change have also swept through the Indian ranks as two players – Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag – are the only surviving members of the Indian team.

India may have failed to beat Pakistan here but their overall track record at the Eden Gardens is not bad, having won 10 of the 18 matches they have played here.

Agencies add: Meanwhile, Eden Garden’s curator has promised a wicket full of runs for Thursday’s one-dayer.

Prabir Mukherjee said on Tuesday that the Eden Gardens track for the upcoming game would be a “proper one-day wicket” with something for everybody.

“It will be a proper one-day wicket assisting stroke-play for the batsmen. There will be bounce for the pacers and spinners will get purchase in the later stages of the game,” said the veteran curator.

Mukherjee had courted controversy after slamming India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni over his demand for a square turner in the Test match against England last month.

Down a game in the three-match series, India will meet Pakistan for the second game at the Eden here Thursday.

“It will be the same pitch which was used for the Test match against England, but it will be a typical one-day wicket with lot of runs,” said Mukherjee.

He predicted that dew will not be an important factor as it is a day-and-night match.

“During this time of the year you get some dew but with the availability of dew-fighting equipment, I do not think dew would be a factor,” added Mukherjee.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan team, which arrived in the city Monday, carried out a marathon session at the nets on Tuesday.

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