‘No demons in Eden Gardens wicket,’ Gambhir defends Kolkata pitch:Head coach points the finger at batters amid 1st Test field scruitny from cricket legends

Amid all the noise putting Kolkata wicket as the scapegoat, Gautam Gambhir has defended the turning ground. With Shubman Gill out due to a neck injury in the First Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, India lost by 30 runs against the visitors. The Men in Blue were chasing down the target of 124 runs in the second innings. However, the Rishabh Pant-led side without Gill could not survive the spin fury from Simon Harmer as he first picked four wickets in the 1st innings for 30 runs and then took 4-fer again in the second innings for even lower economy, giving away just 21 runs. ‘No demons in this Eden Gardens wicket’: Gautam Gambhir While addressing the post-match presentation after a narrow 30-run loss to South Africa in 1st Test, Gautam Gambhir said: No demons in this Eden Gardens wicket. This is a pitch that challenged batters’ technique and temperament. Further defending the Kolkata pitch curator, India’s head coach said, “This pitch is what we asked for and this is what we got; the curator here was very supportive. I don’t think it’s a difficult wicket. It’s a wicket that can judge your mental toughness, as the ones who played with good defence scored runs.” Also Read| India lose to South Africa at home after 15 years: Fail to chase 124, Harmer finishes with 8 wickets in the match Notably, India lost 12 wickets against spinners on the Kolkata pitch while facing South Africa in 1st Test. Considering the turning challenge that the pitch offered, there were even those who were left disappointed with the Eden Gardens wicket. Gautam Gambhir points the finger at the lack of patience and skill from India batters While talking about the Eden Gardens pitch and what the Indian team could’ve done better, Gambhir said, “It may not be a wicket where you can be flamboyant or play big shots, but if you are patient, you can score. This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. As I said before, the curator was very helpful. This is exactly what we wanted, and when you don’t play well, this is what happens.” However, there is still a section of the cricketing community that doesn’t agree with the Indian head coach’s opinion. Harbhajan Singh and Dinesh Karthik blame the pitch mismanagement Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh voiced out his displeasure with the pitch used for the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, saying that a “mockery” has been made out of Test cricket and how it is not even about the ability anymore, pointing out that even greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli would have struggled on such surfaces. Also Read| Shubman Gill to miss remaining Test series against South Africa- Report While speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said, “In my view, it is not going right; it is pathetic and utter nonsense. A mockery has been made out of Test cricket.” Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik blamed the poor pitch mismanagement. He said that the pitch’s early breakdown was due to it not being watered the night before the match. Notably, the India head coach was the one who requested the pitch curator not to water the pitch for four days, as per former India captain and Cricket Association of Bengal president, Sourav Ganguly. With this move from Gambhir, ICC is likely to rate Eden Gardens as “poor” and potentially hand demerit points. Above all, the pitch row might continue questioning the Kolkata pitch’s impact on the integrity of Test cricket.