After the humiliating defeat in the first Test against South Africa, questions are being raised about the turning wicket at Eden Gardens and the decisions of India’s team management. According to former captain and former president of the Cricket Board Sourav Ganguly, the wicket here was not ideal for a Test match. He advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to trust the fast bowlers.
India wanted to trap South Africa by creating a spin-friendly wicket in Kolkata. They fielded an XI with four spinners. The Proteas had only two specialist spinners in the XI, one of whom, Simon Harmer, took 8 wickets in the match and crushed India’s batting.
In reply to South Africa’s 159 runs in the first innings, India scored 189. In the second innings, the hosts bundled out the Proteas for 153 runs, chasing a small target of 124 runs. The visitors won by 30 runs in three days.
After the match, India coach Gambhir said that they wanted such a wicket. In an interview with Indian media ‘India Today’, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav raised questions about the wicket.
“There is no room for debate. It was not a good pitch for a Test. Unfortunately, India lost. However, they should have won by 120 runs. Gambhir said that they wanted such a pitch and they were the ones who gave instructions to the curator. Yes, it is true; instructions were given. I repeat what I said. I like Gautam a lot; he has done a good job for India in England, in ODIs, in T20 cricket. He will continue his duty, but we must play on good pitches.”
India will play two fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in this match. Sourav feels that Mohammed Shami should also be kept in the XI along with them. Shami, despite his good performance in the Ranji Trophy, was not called up for the two-match series, and there has been no shortage of discussion and criticism about it. He played his last of 64 Tests in June 2023, in the final of the ICC Test Championship against Australia at The Oval.
Sourav suggested adding the 35-year-old swing bowler to the team.
“He (Gambhir) has to trust Bumrah, Siraj and Shami. We have to win Test matches in five days, not three days.”
The second and final Test begins in Guwahati next Saturday.
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