The Kolkata Test may have lasted only two and a half days, but the discussion around the Eden Gardens pitch is stretching far longer. What began as a straightforward post-match remark from head coach Gautam Gambhir has now spiralled into a multi-layered conversation - thanks to batting coach Sitanshu Kotak’s candid clarification.
It all started when Gambhir fronted the media after India’s heavy defeat to South Africa and insisted that the team got the exact pitch they had asked for. His comment suggested intent, preparation, and acceptance - but Kotak has now offered a very different picture.
Speaking with refreshing honesty, Kotak admitted that no one in the Indian setup expected the surface to behave the way it did. The pitch began crumbling within a single day, causing excess soil to rip up and creating conditions far more demanding than anticipated. Kotak revealed that the intention was to have spin gradually influence the match from Day 3 onward, not to dominate from the start.
More importantly, he said Gambhir only took full responsibility to shield the curators - an act meant to prevent blame from landing on the ground staff. According to Kotak, the coach simply didn’t want the narrative to turn into a finger-pointing exercise.
India’s loss in just two and a half days has amplified scrutiny. Their batting struggled against South Africa’s precision, their bowling lacked sustained control, and the pitch became the biggest headline of all. While pitches are meant to challenge, this one challenged the very spirit of a full Test match.
The combination of Gambhir’s protective stance, Kotak’s clarification, and Ganguly’s prior warning has created a narrative far richer than the game itself. And as India prepares for the second Test, one thing is clear: this pitch debate isn’t ending anytime soon—certainly not as quickly as the match did.
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