Guwahati: The Eden Gardens pitch for the opening Test between India and South Africa became a major talking point after former India captain and Cricket Association of Bengal chief Saurav Ganguly revealed that it had been left unwatered for four days.

The lack of moisture caused the surface to dry rapidly and behave unpredictably. Balls kicked off from a length, others kept low and spinners extracted far more turn than expected. Against that backdrop, the sight of the centre square being watered on Thursday afternoon at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, nearly two days before the second Test, offered a sense of relief.

Yet, that reassuring sight guarantees nothing. Pitch preparation is a game of educated guesses as extraneous factors have a major influence on how it will behave. Alw

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