NEW DELHI: After India's batting frailties were exposed once again on a turning Eden Gardens surface - where they failed to chase a 124-run target against South Africa in the first Test - the debate around pitch conditions has intensified.
Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has even urged the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, not to influence curators or attempt to dictate how pitches should be prepared.
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"Well, you know what happens in the IPL? No IPL franchise can influence a curator to prepare any specific kind of pitch. The curator works independently. If he happens to be a die-hard fan of the home franchise, he might prepare a surface that suits their strengths, but that's entirely his call," Gavaskar told India Today.
"It's always best to leave the curator alone because he knows his job better than anyone else. When you start asking him to mix things up or prepare a pitch a certain way, it can easily backfire. That is exactly what you want to avoid," he added.
The opening Test between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens ended within three days and delivered an unprecedented low for red-ball cricket in the country. For the first time ever in India, both teams were bowled out in all four innings without a single total crossing 200.
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However, Gavaskar backed Gambhir, stating the pitch was more than fair and the defeat came down to poor batting execution. "Totally agree with Gautam Gambhir. 124 was chaseable on this pitch. There was no question about it."
Gavaskar pointed out that South Africa's spinners thrived on discipline rather than extreme turn. "People are calling it a spinning pitch. It was nothing vicious. Poor technique and poor temperament have landed us in this situation," he said, adding that India needed to bat like it was a five-day Test, not a T20.
He highlighted Temba Bavuma's gritty half-century as the blueprint for how batters should have approached the conditions. "Bavuma batted with real temperament, technique and dedication. That should at least have been at the back of their minds," Gavaskar said.
