KEY POINTS
- Gambhir says India lost due to poor batting and lack of pressure absorption, not the pitch.
- He defends curator Sujan Mukherjee, stressing that the turning track was requested by the team.
- Former cricketers criticised the wicket, but Gambhir insists 123 was a chaseable target.
KOLKATA, India: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has shifted the spotlight firmly onto his own players rather than the Eden Gardens pitch, insisting that India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test was the result of poor batting, not pitch preparation.
India, chasing a modest 124, faltered against South African spinner Simon Harmer, who claimed match figures of 8 for 51.
While the surface drew immediate criticism for its variable bounce and challenging turn, yielding only one half-century in the entire match, Gambhir rejected claims that the pitch was to blame.
Despite former cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh calling the wicket “pathetic, utter nonsense” and Michael Vaughan branding it “awful,” Gambhir defended both the surface and curator Sujan Mukherjee, making it clear that India had requested such conditions.
“The point is that you should be able to know how to play turn. And this is what we asked for, and this is what we got,” Gambhir said, adding that the curator was “very supportive.”
In a post-match press conference, he stressed that the failure lay in the batters’ inability to absorb pressure and show the required temperament on a turning track.
“I still believe 123 was chaseable… If you are willing to put your head down and have a solid defence, you can definitely score runs.”
Gambhir’s comments aligned with Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly, who earlier confirmed that India had specifically demanded a turning wicket.
Gambhir also highlighted moments where partnerships briefly lifted hopes, arguing that the collapse reflected a mindset issue rather than pitch shortcomings.
Curator Mukherjee, now again in the centre of a pitch controversy, has defended his preparation approach, stating in past interviews that he would not alter surfaces simply to meet team expectations, an attitude Gambhir appeared to endorse.
By backing the curator and criticising his own batters’ execution, Gambhir has reframed the debate: the Eden Gardens pitch was not the problem, India’s batting was.
