Page 41 - The Indian EYE 112825

STUMP VISION NOVEMBER 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 41

EDEN GARDENS

India’s Defeat Triggers Fierce Row Over

Pitch, Selection and Coach Gautam Gambhir

India’s first Test defeat at Eden Gardens in 13 years has sparked a storm of criticism over the
pitch, player preparedness and head coach Gautam Gambhir’s approach, with former cricketers

questioning the team’s strategy even as the coaching staff closed ranks around him

OUR BUREAU dian camp. Batting coach Sitanshu
Kotak blasted critics for targeting the
Kolkata
head coach alone.
hen South Africa sealed “People are only talking about
a 31-run win over India in Gautam Gambhir. Nobody is men-
WKolkata — their first Test tioning what the batters did or even
victory on Indian soil since 2010 — what the batting coach could have
the cricketing fallout was immediate done better. Maybe some people
and intense. The loss, which saw In- have their individual agendas,” Ko-
dia fall short of a modest 124-run tar- tak said in Guwahati before the sec-
get, was their fourth home Test defeat ond Test.
to a SENA side in the past year. But Kotak revealed that Gambhir
beyond the result, it was the nature of deliberately absorbed blame to
the collapse and the debate over the shield the pitch curator, insisting that
Eden Gardens pitch that ignited a fu- preparing turning surfaces was part
rious national conversation. of India’s broader home strategy —
Former Australian wicketkeep- just as other teams use conditions to
er Brad Haddin was among the first their advantage.
to take aim. Speaking on the Willow “When we play in India, we rely
Talk podcast, he questioned India’s on spin. We expect matches to last
approach to doctoring “excessively four to four-and-a-half days. Fast
spin-friendly surfaces” that, he ar- bowlers remain in the game early.
gued, were hurting the home side That’s normal,” he said.
more than the opposition. Gambhir himself offered a mea-
“I just think they are leaving too sured explanation, calling the defeat
much to chance,” Haddin said. “In- a collective failure and stressing that
dia play their best cricket when they if India wanted to play on such pitch-
put big totals on the board and then es, they had to be technically and
make the opposition claustrophobic. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and Ryan Rickelton celebrate the wicket of India’s Mohammed mentally equipped.
Their spinners are better than any- Siraj, during day 3 of the 1st test match, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata (ANI) “If we want to play at home on
one else on those surfaces, but their such wickets, where it’s not easy to
batters are not that good players of play big shots but you have to get
spin on surfaces like that.” wicket... Those who defended well preparing. used to grafting, then we have to im-
Haddin contrasted India’s cur- scored runs. This is exactly what we “On turning tracks, you need dif- prove our skill and temperament,”
rent strategy with the Virat Kohli era, wanted,” Gambhir said, brushing off ferent shot selection — more sweeps, Gambhir said.
pointing out that Kohli’s teams built any suggestion that the Eden surface more positive intent. Our batters India’s inability to chase 124 —
pressure through big first-innings to- was responsible for India’s collapse. must prepare according to these spin the second-lowest target they have
tals rather than low-scoring turning But inside India’s own cricket- conditions instead of expecting usu- ever failed to reach in Test history —
traps. ing fraternity, dissent rose quickly. al batting-friendly surfaces,” Pujara has now placed the team’s spin-bat-
“They batted long and put score- Cheteshwar Pujara, speaking on added. ting ability under a harsh spotlight.
board pressure. Now they are taking JioStar, openly disagreed with Gam- The statistics support his con- And with a short turnaround before
their world-class batters out of the bhir’s reading of the surface. cern. Between 2016 and 2019, In- the second Test in Guwahati, ques-
game,” he said. “This surface was clearly tough dian batters averaged 53.3 at home tions remain over whether the pitch
The sting in Haddin’s critique to bat on. No one except Temba against spin. Since 2020, that number debate and coaching criticism will
landed squarely on head coach Gau- Bavuma managed to cross fifty. In- has fallen sharply to 33.8. The Eden distract or galvanise the squad.
tam Gambhir, who defended the dian batsmen looked underprepared Gardens collapse — where India lost What is clear is that India’s Eden
pitch after the match, saying there for playing on such turning tracks,” 20 wickets for 217 runs — has now Gardens defeat has reopened old fis-
were “no demons” and insisting that Pujara said. become the starkest example of the sures about pitch philosophy, home
India got exactly the surface they had He argued that India’s batting decline. advantage, and the fine line between
asked for. approach had not evolved with the Amid the debate, Gambhir tailoring conditions and sabotaging
“There was no demon in this conditions they were deliberately found support from within the In- one’s own strengths.

www.TheIndianEYE.com