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CALCUTTA, Feb 14: A hard and green wicket has been prepared for the opening match of the Asian Test Championship fixture between India and Pakistan which starts at the picturesque Eden Gardens from Tuesday.

``It is a good wicket which will assist the seamers and the batsmen,'' confessed Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin.

According to sources, there was more grass on the wicket but was mowed with a zero machine. ``Now if they want to remove the remaining grass, then the groundsmen will have to use the brush,'' sources said.

However, the sources stressed that the local officials don't want a repeat of the World Cup semi-final riot in which the match was stopped before going to full distance. ``Jaghmohan Dalmiya (President of the Calcutta Cricket Association) doesn't want a repeat of that fiasco. When South Africa and Australia played Tests here in the last two years, the wicket was hard and helped the seamers. Lance Klusener, Venkatesh Prasad and Paul Riefel all got more than seven wickets when they played here in the last two years.''

Anshuman Gaekwad and Mohammad Azharuddin had a long look at the wicket on Sunday evening before commenting that it was a sporting track. But both said they would not be influencing the ground authorities to remove the grass. ``It's not our job to ask the authorities to prepare a rought or bald track. In fact, we will feel comfortable playing on this track.''