Sunil Gavaskar stands with Gautam Gambhir in Eden pitch storm as Indian batters face heat: 'Poor technique landed...'
Sunil Gavaskar backed Gautam Gambhir’s stance on the Eden Gardens surface, insisting the defeat had more to do with India’s batting than the pitch itself.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind Gautam Gambhir amid the debate over the Eden Gardens pitch used for the first Test against South Africa. The match was played on a sharp-turning surface—one Gambhir openly acknowledged requesting from the curator—but the plan crumbled as India slipped to defeat, with their batters unable to cope with the Proteas spinners while chasing a modest 124-run target.
No Indian batter could reach a half-century in the opening Test, while South African captain Temba Bavuma stood out with a determined 55 in the second innings—an effort that proved crucial in turning the contest in the visitors’ favour.
Gavaskar backed Gambhir’s stance on the Eden Gardens surface, insisting the defeat had more to do with India’s batting than the pitch itself. The former captain argued that a target of 124 should have been well within reach, regardless of the turn on offer.
“Totally agree with Gautam Gambhir. 124 was chaseable on this pitch. There was no question about it,” Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.
“A lot of people are talking about what the pitch was doing, but if you had a look at what Simon Harmer was doing in an over, how many of his deliveries were turning? He was mixing it up really well. He bowled straight and got the odd one to turn,” he added.
The Indian team management has come under heavy criticism from several former players and experts after opting for a surface that many felt lacked balance, offering a sharp turn from the very first day. The decision to request such a pitch has sparked debate over whether it ultimately worked against India’s own strengths.
“I fully agree with Gautam Gambhir…”: Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar further clarified that the defeat had little to do with the surface, stressing that India’s approach with the bat was the real problem. He pointed out that the pitch behaved typically for a Day 3 Test match and did not warrant the criticism it received.
“So, it was not a vicious turning pitch. It was a pitch on which you needed to bat as if you were playing a five-day Test, not a 50-over match or a Twenty20 where, after three dot balls, you try to play a break-out-of-jail shot. That’s the issue. One hundred and twenty-four should have been chased with at least five wickets in hand with the kind of batting line-up India had,” he said.
“I fully agree with Gautam Gambhir that there was nothing wrong with the pitch. The odd ball turned — on Day 3, that’s normal. How many of Maharaj’s deliveries turned? How many of Jadeja’s or Axar’s turned?" he added.
Meanwhile, the Indian legend further asserted that it was the poor technique and temperament of the Indian batter which led to their downfall at Eden Gardens.
“People are calling it a spinning pitch. It was nothing vicious. Poor technique and poor temperament have landed us in this situation,” he said.
