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Eden Gardens chief curator Sujan Mukherjee defends the track after India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa, citing Gambhir’s instructions.
Indian batters failed to offer any fight in the second innings. (PTI Photo)
Eden Gardens chief curator Sujan Mukherjee has said that the pitch in question was a pretty good one and when India head coach Gautam Gambhir instructed on what kind of pitch the team wants, he doesn’t have a lot to say on the controversy, a day after India slumped to a 30-run loss to South Africa.
The problem drawing the most discussion is the 22 yards at Eden Gardens. A five-day game ended in just two and a half days, which is not unusual, as many Tests in the past have wrapped up within that time.
But why is this Eden track being talked about so much? Because batters could not score on it. Only South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma managed to hit a fifty on this treacherous track.
Speaking to the media before the game, Mukherjee had insisted that the track was of top quality and would provide something for both batters and bowlers. He predicted turn from Day 1 as well, adding that spinners would find increasing assistance as the match wore on.
But what unfolded was the opposite. Batters received no support whatsoever, while the bowlers ran through the line-ups. India couldn’t chase even a paltry 124 and lost by 30 runs.
India’s defeat to South Africa dragged Eden’s 22 yards into the eye of a storm. Even though Gambhir clarified after the game that they had been given the exact kind of pitch they had asked for and that India’s batters couldn’t execute, Mukherjee remains firm in his defence of the track he prepared.
“I am still saying this pitch was good. When Gambhir himself is stating what kind of pitch they had asked for, then what more is there for me to say? My job is to deliver a good pitch and I prepared it as instructed,” Mukherjee said while speaking to Times Now.
“How the players perform on it is up to them. Even Bavuma scored runs on this pitch. So? This is a Test, you have to apply yourself and be patient. If you walk in with a plan to hit fours and sixes right away, you won’t survive,” Mukherjee added.
November 17, 2025, 21:16 IST
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