A new controversy has arisen after India’s embarrassing 30-run defeat to South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and now the biggest question is whether captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir are on the same page when it comes to home pitches.
A few weeks ago, ahead of the home Test series against West Indies, Shubman Gill had confidently declared that India would no longer depend on excessive turning tracks. He wanted pitches that would give fair chances to both batsmen and bowlers and fair competition for the fans.
Differences between Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir increased after the Eden Gardens incident.
“We would like to play on a wicket that is beneficial for both batsmen and bowlers,” Shubman Gill told reporters ahead of the India-West Indies Test series.
Also read: Before the second test, Gautam Gambhir gave mixed signals to Sai Sudarshan and Devdutt Padikkal.
But what happened in Kolkata was completely contrary to that vision. The pitch at Eden Gardens started falling apart from the very first day and the first Test ended within three days. A total of 38 wickets fell in the Kolkata Test, where the spinners took 22 wickets, while the fast bowlers took 16 wickets.
The Eden Gardens surface surprised the batsmen with uneven bounce and sharp turn. Gill himself was injured in the first innings and could not bat in the second innings. Now, the Indian captain is unlikely to return for the second and final Test against South Africa starting November 22 in Guwahati.
Gautam Gambhir defends Eden Gardens pitch
India’s collapse while chasing 124 shocked everyone as they were out for just 93 runs. South Africa won their first Test on Indian soil in 15 years. The defeat forced fans and experts to question India’s team strategy, pitch preparation and communication within the setup.
But after the defeat in Kolkata, Gautam Gambhir’s tough stance added fuel to the fire. The head coach clarified that the pitch was exactly the surface the team had asked for. He blamed the defeat not on the circumstances but on the lack of discipline and control of the batsmen.
Gambhir said that if India had applied themselves better, they should have easily chased down the target. He said in the post-match press conference, “It was not a playable wicket; there were no monsters there. It was exactly the pitch we were looking for. When you don’t play well, that’s what happens.”
Also read: BCCI suspends all cricket with Bangladesh
Cricket experts criticized the Eden Gardens pitch
But not everyone agrees with Gambhir’s justification. Many big names including Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh and Dale Steyn have openly criticized the Eden Gardens pitch. He argued that balls coming up unexpectedly – such as those that troubled KL Rahul and Aiden Markram – made batting very dangerous.
With this defeat, India have now lost four of their last six home Tests, which has rarely happened in the last decade. India’s unbeatable image on home soil has clearly taken a hit and the confusion amongst the team leadership has made the situation more worrying.
Well, the Indian team wasted no time in getting back to work on Tuesday and returned to Eden Gardens for an optional training session. Sai Sudarshan and Dhruv Jurel worked on their shots and footwork with head coach Gautam Gambhir watching the session closely.
