India head coach Gautam Gambhir has confirmed that the management asked for the pitch that was delivered at the Eden Gardens. The surface has received a lot of flak in the aftermath of a humiliating defeat.
Just 594 runs were scored in the India vs South Africa 1st Test, with the game lasting just 8 sessions. From the first session itself, there was invariable bounce. Cracks emerged, and the rough was created on the second day.
‘Happy with what we got’ – Gambhir on pitch
Harbhajan Singh claimed Test cricket would die because of such surfaces. The former Indian spin great even stated Sachin Tendulkar wouldn’t have survived on the pitch rolled out in Kolkata. But Gambhir has claimed that India asked for the surface.
“This is what we asked for, and we are happy with what we got. This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. The curator was very helpful,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
Indian batters lack proper technique?
The Indian head coach blamed the batters for the loss of the match. In his opinion, the pitch wasn’t unplayable, and the batters didn’t apply themselves properly.
“If you don’t play well, this is what happens. It wasn’t an unplayable wicket. It was a wicket where your technique and temperament were tested. If you have a solid defence, you can score on such wickets,” he added.
While Gambhir claims the Eden Gardens pitch wasn’t unplayable, one has to wonder how it wasn’t. Washington Sundar amassed 60 runs in the Kolkata Test; no one scored more runs than him. Just one fifty was scored in the entire match, by Temba Bavuma. Each wicket fell at an average of 15.63. By all means, this doesn’t look like a good wicket to bat on, but Gambhir thinks otherwise.
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