IND vs SL 1st Test: Bhuvneshwar Kumar Will Be Very Difficult To Tackle On Eden Gardens Track, Says Sourav Ganguly

While only time will tell whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets the nod in the playing eleven for the first Test against Sri Lanka, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has backed the right-arm pacer to play a decisive role in the game, scheduled to start on Thursday (November 16) at the Eden Gardens.

Ganguly, who is also the president of the Cricket Association of the Bengal, insisted that ball would swing on the Eden Gardens track, thus making it difficult for the batsman to tackle Bhuvneshwar.

“The ball will swing and Bhuvi will be very difficult to tackle on this track which may have a tinge of green. He swings the ball both ways and he could be a key bowler,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by mid-day.

Ganguly went on to back the idea of playing three fast-bowlers in the first Test.

“I’d play three pacemen on this track. Mohammed Shami will be the hit-the-deck bowler while Umesh Yadav’s pace will be important too,” added Ganguly.

The think tank would surely think of Ganguly’s suggestions as Virat Kohli & Co. will be eyeing to start the series on a perfect note. Moreover, the way the fast-bowlers had performed in the last Test at this venue, the hosts will be tempted to go in with three fast-bowlers.

During the Test against New Zealand at the iconic stadium last year, the pacers from both the sides had shared 26 of the possible 40 wickets between them. In the first innings of the game, New Zealand’s pace trio Henry, Boult and Neil Wagner shared seven wickets between them to help the visitors bowl the hosts out for 316 before Bhuvneshwar Kumar‘s five-wicket haul and Shami’s 3-wicket haul helped India to take a 112-run lead. In the second innings, India were all out for just 263 with Henry and Boult taking three wickets each. Shami and Bhuvneshwar, sharing four wickets between them as India bowled the visitors out for 197 to win the game by 178 runs.

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