Overview:
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir gave his backing to the curator while slamming the performance of the Indian batters, saying they should have found ways to score runs on the challenging wicket.
Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee has finally broken his silence on the Kolkata pitch controversy after India’s 30-run defeat against South Africa. Both teams failed to score 200 runs in both innings, and the hosts managed 93 while chasing 124. Following the defeat, a lot has been said about the surface at Eden Gardens, with many former players questioning the quality.
Mukherjee said that the pitch was not bad and he did what was told to him by the Indian team management.
“The pitch was not bad,” he told Times Now Bangla. “Everyone is questioning. I know how to prepare wickets for a Test match. That’s what I did. I was given instructions and I followed them. I don’t care about what others say. I do my job with dedication, and I am going to do it in the future as well,” Mukherjee added.
Earlier, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir gave his backing to the curator while slamming the performance of the Indian batters, saying they should have found ways to score runs on the challenging wicket.
South Africa exploited the conditions to their advantage and stunned the sub-continent team. India have lost four of their last six Tests at home and nine of the 18 red-ball matches under Gautam Gambhir.
“There were no demons in the wicket and it was not an unplayable surface,” Gambhir said.
“If you are willing to put your head down and if you have a defence, you can score runs,” Gambhir added.
Simon Harmer was named the Player of the Match for taking 8 wickets. He didn’t allow the Indian batters to settle down, and they were found wanting against him.
Shubman Gill, who didn’t bat in the series opener after suffering from a neck spasm, has been discharged from the hospital, but he is not certain to be a part of the upcoming game.
The second and final Test will start on November 22 in Assam.