NEW DELHI: After the Eden Gardens pitch came under heavy scrutiny, with both India and South Africa failing to cross 200 in the first Test, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly clarified that the surface was prepared according to the requests of the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian camp.
Ganguly also emphasised that blaming the curator is pointless. He revealed that the pitch had not been watered for four days prior to the Test, which naturally caused it to deteriorate and behave the way it did.
"The pitch is what the Indian camp wanted. This is what happens when you don't water the pitch for four days. Curator Sujan Mukherjee can't be blamed," Ganguly told News18 Bangla.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed the pitch used for the match in Kolkata, calling it a "mockery of Test cricket."
He argued that the surface reduced the contest to luck rather than skill, adding that even legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli would have found it difficult to bat on such a wicket.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik revealed key insights about the pitch, explaining why it may have deteriorated so quickly.
"The pitch wasn't watered the night before the match. That's why it broke up so early," he said.
South Africa's former pacer Vernon Philander offered a different perspective, urging the focus to be on the players rather than the pitch. He said, "Talk about the players, not the pitch. Test cricket is about adapting."
