Pitch perfect? Gambhir dismisses Eden Gardens criticism, says 'no demons in this wicket’

Kolkata: India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the Eden Gardens pitch curator on Sunday after criticism over the surface used in the first Test against South Africa, saying the team got “exactly” the wicket they had requested.

“This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. The curator was very helpful, and we got what we wanted. When you don’t play well, this is what happens,” Gambhir said after India’s loss inside three days.

Reigning World Test Champions South Africa clinched a remarkable victory on a turning track to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. The visitors recovered from an opening-innings collapse for 159 to bowl India out cheaply and set a challenging fourth-innings target of 124.

“There were no demons in this wicket,” Gambhir said. “It was not unplayable. Temba Bavuma scored runs, and Axar and Washi also scored runs. There’s no point talking about the pitch; most wickets fell to seamers. It tested skill and temperament. If you batted with discipline, you could score; if you played attacking shots, it became difficult.”

Bavuma was South Africa’s standout performer with a resilient fifty on Day 3 that helped the visitors stretch their lead to 123. India, chasing 124, fell short as the Proteas sealed the result within three days.

Gambhir also shielded his players from blame, saying the defeat was a collective one. “We win together and lose together. It’s not right to single out the batters. They gave everything they had, but yes, we must keep improving if we are to do well on such pitches,” he said.

With inputs from IANS