Gautam Gambhir Turns Down Pitch Talks After India's Defeat At Eden Gardens: 'This Was Exactly What We Wanted

India vs South Africa 1st Test: India head coach Gautam Gambhir turned down the talks around the pitch after the team's disappointing defeat in the first Test against South Africa by 30 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. Gambhir accepted that the Indians got the surface exactly what they wanted; hence, the defeat was purely down to the players' application.

India were bowled out for 93 in the chase of 124 to surrender against South Africa by 30 runs here.
"It was not an unplayable wicket. This (pitch) is exactly what we asked for, and this is what we got. The curator (Sujan Mukherjee) here was very supportive. I think it's a wicket that can judge your mental toughness, as ones who played with good defence scored runs," said Gambhir in the post-match press conference.

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Gambhir went on to mention the case of Temba Bavuma (55 not out) and Washington Sundar (31 off 92 balls) to validate his argument. "This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. There were no demons or not unplayable. Axar, Temba, and Washington made runs. If you say this is a turning wicket, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers," he added.

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He also reasoned that the hosts preferred such an unwatered pitch to render the toss invalid. "We ask for the pitch to aid spinners from day one so that toss doesn't become crucial. Had we won the Test, you wouldn't be asking or discussing so much about the pitch. We've got the guys to deliver in any condition," he added.

A total of 22 wickets out of 40 were taken by the spinners that offered massive turn and uneven bounce throughout the three days. The fact of the match ending well inside the three days once again triggered a debate around the pitches in India, with several former cricketers expressing their views.

Simon Harmer produced a memorable effort to help his side get over the line. He took four wickets for 30 runs in the first innings before recording the figures of 4/21.