KOLKATA: Eden Gardens’ low sight screens have once again become a major point of concern ahead of India’s second Test against the West Indies with Sachin Tendulkar requesting the state association to raise the height for a better view against the tall Windies bowlers.

Tendulkar, just one short of 100 international centuries, made a plea to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) who later said they would cooperate fully as the Mumbai maestro was approaching an incredible milestone.

During India’s net session, Tendulkar seemed unhappy with the Eden sightscreens again as he had a long chat with CAB officials Biswarup Dey and Gautam Dasgputa, pointing at the sightscreens on both the ends.

Tendulkar also pointed at the patches of grass that was distinctly visible at the high-court end and it appeared that it would be trimmed the day before the match so as to assist the Indian spinners.

CAB joint-secretary Dey said it was just a sincere request from Tendulkar and they would do their best to cooperate with him.

“Tendulkar is eyeing a very important milestone in his career. 100th international century is a never-before record. CAB will fully cooperate to raise the height, by covering few rows of seats in the lower tier.”

The raise in height in both the ends, incidentally, would cost CAB about 1500 seats and Dey said it’s up to them to decide on that.

The Eden sight screens have long been a problem and during the World Cup, ICC technical team also objected to the lower height as the stadium lost out on India’s sole fixture at the venue.

Eventually CAB had to comply with the ICC guidelines of 25 feet height and 50 feet width sight screen before getting an ICC clearance.

The current height is 16 feet which has been achieved by covering a few lower tier seats with white clothes behind the two sight screens.

Asked why CAB was not getting a permanent solution to this, Dey passed on the buck to the curator.

“I don’t know much about the height details. It’s the curator who determines the height and all.”

Meanwhile, curator Prabir Mukherjee said he does not have any say in this and it’s the match referee and umpires who decide on this.

“Match referee and umpires are the technical persons. It’s not my work to see who has what problems. It’s not my job.”

On the grass left on the strip, Mukherjee said usual mowing would be done on Sunday before a quick roll on the wicket.

KOLKATA: Will he? Won’t he? That’s the question local cricket buffs find most intriguing as they pray Sachin Tendulkar reaches the much-awaited milestone of a century of international tons during the second Test against the West Indies at the historic Eden Gardens, a ground that the batting genius had once called the “home of cricket”.

India play the West Indies in the second Test from November 14-18.

After scoring a century in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, Sachin has failed to play even one triple figure knock in the 11 Test innings where he has come to the middle, the highest being 91 at The Oval during India’s disastrous English tour in summer.

However, he did get two ODI hundreds during this time – 120 against England at Bangalore and 111 facing South Africa in Nagpur. The last one came March 12.

It was almost 22 years back that a shy 16-year old boy with curly hair and an ocean of talent made his international debut in the Karachi Test against Pakistan, with cricketing experts like Sunil Gavaskar prophesying the advent of a player capable of breaking all batting records that one can think of.

Years later, the legendary Don Bradman – considered the greatest batsmen of all times – asked his wife to take a look at the Indian as he felt Tendulkar played like him. It was Tendulkar’s technique, compactness, and shot production that endeared him most to the Aussie, according to Roland Perry, who authored the book “Don’s Best”.

Fifty-one centuries in 182 Test matches and 48 in 453 ODIs is ample testimony of the visionary qualities of these wise men.

But the one century – that would make the little Mumbaikar the first ever batsman in 138 years of international cricket history to complete a historic feat of 100 tons – has been on wait for eight months.

And Kolkatans are hoping it will be at the Eden, a ground where Tendulkar has got only two tons in 10 Tests. His average a tad below 50, as opposed to 56.14 overall in Tests.

The five-feet-five-inch batsman had to wait till his sixth Test at the Eden to get his maiden ton in the coliseum-like stadium. The jinx was finally broken November 3, 2002, when he got a strokeful 176 in the second innings against the Carl Hooper led West Indies to rescue India from a tottering 87/4 with a 214-run stand alongside VVS Laxman (154). It was his 31st Test century.

“Honoured to score a century at the home of cricket,” said a relaxed but happy Tendulkar after the feat.

The second century came last year, when he struck 106 against South Africa, a match that made India the number one Test team of the world.

And as Tendulkar prepares to take guard at the hallowed ground again, cricket fans are hoping to see history being made before their eyes.

CAPE TOWN: Australian captain Michael Clarke has underlined the importance of winning the second Test against South Africa by saying he won’t hesitate to make necessary changes in the playing eleven for the crunch game beginning on Thursday.

Australia were comfortably beaten in the first Test Friday after slumping to their fourth lowest total with a 47 in the second innings. A match-winning partnership of 150 runs between captain Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla gave South Africa a 1-0 lead in the short series.

Clarke conceded Australia were not “good enough” in the game and stressed on picking the best eleven for the second one at the Wanderers, Johannesburg.

“Whoever we think our best 11 is for this second Test match needs to be selected,” Clarke was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

“If that means no changes that means no changes. If that means four changes, so be it. I want the best 11 to win the game in Johannesburg..”

Senior players in the team failed miserably in the topsy-turvy match that saw four innings being played on the second day.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin failed in both innings while Mitchell Johnson was proved toothless throughout the match.

Clarke was particularly critical of the way his bowlers bowled in the South Africa’s second innings.

“I don’t want to hide away from the fact of how bad we played in our second innings but I also don’t want to hide away from the fact that if we had made 600 in our second innings the way we came out and bowled… we still would have been a chance of losing.

“We just weren’t good enough,” said Clarke.

KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is confident that India would wrap up the series against the West Indies in the second Test match at the Eden Gardens.

On the sidelines of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy preparation, the left-hander who is playing for his home state said, “I’ve not seen the Test wicket but hope that it will be a favourable result for India and they will win the series 3-0.”

With all eyes on Sachin Tendulkar for his much-anticipated 100th century in international cricket, Ganguly said it’s just a matter of time before he gets to the milestone.

“He has completed 15,000 Test runs, so the century too will be round the corner.”

Ganguly did not want to read much into out-of-favour India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and said it’s premature to compare him with India’s latest spin hero R Ashwin.

On Ashwin’s spectacular debut in the first Test against the West Indies in Delhi, Ganguly said, “it’s too early to comment on Ashwin. It’s not fair to compare him with Harbhajan.”

“It’s difficult to comment before seeing him (Ashwin) for at least two years. Don’t forget that Harbhajan has more than 400 (Test) wickets.”

Citing example of Narendra Hirwani’s dream debut in which he had claimed 16 wickets, Ganguly said: No doubt, Ashwin is bowling well. But remember Hirwani had claimed 16 wickets in his debut Test…”

The Chennai off spinner Ashwin had scalped nine wickets, including six in the second innings, in the opening Test to become the Man-of-the-Match in his debut Test.

Leading 1-0 after a five-wicket win, India will take on the West Indies in second Test at Eden beginning Monday.

KOLKATA: West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards on Saturday said veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid is the most difficult batsman to bowl to in international cricket.

“Dravid is probably the most difficult batsman (to bowl to). He’s known all over the world as the ‘Wall’. Back home, I’ve bowled against him and he’s been very good up front. It’s very hard to get him out,” Edwards said.

The West Indies pacer said the plan in the opening Test in Delhi, which the visitors lost by five wicket, was to bowl as straight as possible.

“The ball was keeping low. The ball started reversing and I kept bowling as straight as possible and he got bowled. It was good for me,” he said about him bowling out Dravid in the first Test.

Asked whether it was the best dismissal, he said: “I won’t say that, but it was a good delivery…For me, my mindset doesn’t change. I try to stay as attacking as possible. I just do what I have to do — bowl fast.”

The 29-year-old said the Windies’ bowling department discusses about the batsmen’s techniques individually in their team meetings.

“We have our team meetings and we try to chart a course, come up with a plan. We watch as much footage as we can — for batsmen, whether to bowl straight or bowl outside or whatever. We try to stick to the plans.”

Despite his short height, Edwards bowls at a pace that can unsettle any batsman and the diminutive West Indian fast bowler said, “I can do nothing about my height.”

“Watching guys like Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop bowl — all of them were six feet or probably taller than that. About me, I would loved to have had that height, but I am what I am I can’t do anything about it.”

Down 0-1 in the three-Test series, Edwards said it’s been a learning curve for most of the boys in the series.

“It’s (the team atmosphere) been great. We pushed the top Test team so far. We have a very young bunch of players here. For most of the guys this series will be a learning curve. See what Dravid and Sachin did with the bat in the second innings and hopefully we can learn quickly from that.”

Edwards also said he bowled to aggressive Indian opener Virender Sehwag for the first time in a Test series.

“It will be my 50th Test (on Monday)… So hopefully we can do well and come up with a win and try our best in the third Test.”

Edwards said he did not have any knowledge on the possible line-up for the second Test.