NEW DELHI: The Eden Gardens pitch drew widespread criticism after India failed to chase a 124-run target against South Africa in the first Test. Eyebrows were raised as neither team managed to cross the 200-run mark, and the match concluded inside three days.
Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee, who faced heavy criticism, hit back at his detractors, emphasising that the pitch was prepared at the request of the team management and that he pays no heed to outside noise.
"This pitch is not bad at all," he told Times Now. "I know everyone is questioning this pitch. Honestly, I know how to prepare a pitch for a Test. That's exactly what I did. I did it as instructed. I don't think about what others say. Not everyone knows everything. So I do my job with dedication, and I want to continue doing that in the future as well," he added.
'Leave the curator alone: Sunil Gavaskar warns Gautam Gambhir & Co. after Eden Gardens debacle
Earlier, 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.
