Overview:
Kotak also spoke in support of the Eden Gardens' curator, Sujan Mukherjee, saying that they were not expecting the ball to grip and spin that much on Day 2.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has lauded Gautam Gambhir for taking all the blame for the Kolkata pitch. The hosts were bowled out for 93 runs while chasing 124 runs on day 3 of the contest at the Eden Gardens. Gambhir is facing massive flak after he revealed that the team management had instructed the curator to prepare a run-turner for the series opener. Kotak suggested that Gambhir shouldn’t be blamed for the loss, as players and the other members of the support staff were also involved in the decision-making.
“Everyone is talking about Gautam Gambhir. No one is saying anything about the fact that the batters, bowlers and the support staff could have executed things differently,” Kotak said.
Kotak also spoke in support of the Eden Gardens’ curator, Sujan Mukherjee, saying that they were not expecting the ball to grip and spin that much on Day 2.
“When we play Test matches at home or travel abroad, every host nation plays to its strengths. We prefer spin-friendly wickets in India. We want the game to at least finish in four days, and the ball should turn, as it is our strength. In Kolkata, the pitch was dusty and also crumbled. That was not expected. We thought that the spinners would have a say from Day 3. Even the curator was expecting the same. It is not normal to see that much turn from the second day. It happened because the top layer of the pitch was dry, and it was hard underneath because of the roller, he added.
He also opined on Gambhir’s statement on Sujan. “Gambhir took all the blame and said that we had requested such a pitch. He didn’t throw the curator under the bus.”
He called the criticism agenda-driven. “Some people have agendas. Good luck to them, but it is not right,” he concluded.