Pitch Debate Erupts After IND’s Surprise Loss to SA in Kolkata Test

Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the pitch for India’s batting collapse in a 30-run loss to South Africa at Eden Gardens.

India suffered a 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Kolkata. The match ended well inside three days on a spin-friendly pitch at Eden Gardens. Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the pitch for the loss. He pointed instead to a lack of application from the batters during the unsuccessful chase of 124 runs.

The pitch has come under severe scrutiny. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh labeled it as “pathetic”. South Africa’s fast bowling legend Dale Steyn countered Gambhir’s claim. He noted the pitch became unpredictable.

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“He (Gambhir) said there weren’t demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot,” Steyn said on JioHotstar after the match. “You know, as Anil (Kumble) was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you’re out. That’s pretty tough to bat on.”

“When batters don’t have the option to score runs, the application of defence becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult,” he added.

South African captain Temba Bavuma was the only batter to score a half-century in the match. He made an unbeaten 55 in his team’s second innings.

For India, Washington Sundar showed resistance with 31 runs. “The two who applied themselves best were Washington Sundar in the fourth innings and Temba Bavuma. Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defence was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that’s for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure,” Steyn said.

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Speaking after the match, Gambhir defended the pitch. He cited how Bavuma, Sundar, and Axar Patel scored runs as proof it was not unplayable.

“First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn’t an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored. The point is, on a turning track, if you see the stats, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers. If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before,” Gambhir said.