India head coach Gautam Gambhir faced strong criticism after India lost the first Test against South Africa in under three days at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The pitch behaved unevenly from early in the match, making South African captain Temba Bavuma’s half-century the highest score across all four innings.
Despite widespread concern over the surface, Gambhir insisted at the post-match press conference that the defeat was mainly due to the players’ lack of application, not the pitch conditions. He strongly denied suggestions that the wicket was “unplayable.”
According to Gambhir, India had prepared for a surface like this and even requested one that would challenge batters.
“It was not an unplayable wicket, there were no demons,” he said.
“The curator was very supportive and this is exactly what we wanted. If you put your head down, you can definitely score on such a wicket.”
Gambhir Emphasises Player Responsibility
Gambhir pointed out that while the pitch was far from easy, it still offered opportunities to bat with discipline.
“This may not be a flamboyant wicket for big shots,” he explained, “but spending time in the middle was the key. When you don’t play well, this is what happens.”
His comments suggested that India’s failure came from poor shot selection and a lack of patience rather than pitch conditions.
Anil Kumble Expresses Surprise
Former India captain and legendary spinner Anil Kumble disagreed with Gambhir’s assessment. Speaking on a panel after the match, Kumble said he found the pitch highly unusual for Eden Gardens.
He noted that he had been playing at the venue since his Under-19 days, but had never seen a Test pitch there behave so unpredictably over three days.“I did listen to what Gautam said,” Kumble remarked.
“He mentioned that the team wanted something like this. Then I’m a bit confused because this is a young side.”
Kumble’s comments hinted that a pitch this challenging might not be suitable for a relatively inexperienced Indian batting lineup.
Dale Steyn Calls Pitch ‘Full of Demons’
South African fast-bowling great Dale Steyn also pushed back against Gambhir’s view, saying the pitch clearly had “a lot of demons.” According to Steyn, the unpredictable turn and bounce made batting extremely risky.
He described deliveries that spun sharply past the bat, balls rising unexpectedly to hit the wicketkeeper on the shoulder, and others that skidded low to trap batters in front of the stumps.
“When batters don’t have the option to score, only defence becomes possible,” Steyn said. “That itself shows how difficult batting was.”
Ashwin: Not a ‘Turner,’ but Definitely ‘Dangerous’
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a middle ground. He insisted the pitch should not be labelled a “turner,” but admitted it was “dangerous.”
According to Ashwin, the wicket preparation “went awry,” leading to the inconsistent surface. “If someone calls this Eden Gardens pitch a turner, I won’t agree,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“Give a turner, yes—but Eden Gardens isn’t the place for that. If you try to prepare a turner there, it ends up like this.”
And the Debate Goes On
With contrasting views from respected cricketing voices, the debate over the Eden Gardens pitch—and India’s approach—continues. While Gambhir insists that the team simply failed to adapt, veterans like Kumble, Steyn, and Ashwin argue that the pitch itself played a major role in the unexpected defeat.
