Kolkata, India - Former England captain Michael Vaughan has ignited a controversy with his blunt assessment of the pitch at Eden Gardens, following India's unexpected 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test of their series. The match, which concluded in under three days, saw a dramatic collapse of both batting lineups, leading Vaughan to assert that India "deserved to lose" for preparing such a surface.
Vaughan's criticism centered on the extreme nature of the pitch, which offered excessive turn and uneven bounce from the opening session. He took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to describe the pitch as "awful" and the situation as "total carnage," questioning whether it represented genuine Test cricket. He further added that such pitches "kill the contest" and make "a mockery of five-day cricket".
The Eden Gardens pitch saw a staggering 33 wickets fall in under two days, with spinners claiming 28 of those. South Africa were dismissed for 159 and 153 in their two innings, while India managed 189 in their first innings before crumbling to a mere 93 in their second. The rapid deterioration of the pitch and the struggles of the batsmen fueled the debate, with many questioning the fairness and quality of the playing surface.
However, not everyone shares Vaughan's critical view. Former Indian opener and current head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed the criticisms, arguing that the pitch had "no demons". He instead called for better application from the batsmen, pointing out that no Indian batsman managed to score even 40 runs in either innings, with KL Rahul's 39 being the highest. Similarly, former South African pacer Vernon Philander suggested focusing on the players'Adaptability rather than solely blaming the pitch.
Other voices from the cricketing fraternity have also weighed in. Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh described the pitch as a "complete mockery of Test cricket" and declared "#RIPTESTCRICKET". He lamented the lack of fight and balance, stating that even legends like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar would struggle on such a surface. Irfan Pathan, commentating for the host broadcaster, expressed his astonishment at the pitch's deterioration. Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar rated the surface 5.5/10, deeming it "unplayable" due to inconsistent bounce. Dinesh Karthik revealed that the pitch hadn't been watered the night before the match, contributing to its rapid breakdown.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to issue a "poor" rating for the Eden Gardens pitch, potentially leading to demerit points for the venue. This could have implications for future international matches hosted at the iconic stadium.
The controversy surrounding the pitch has overshadowed South Africa's victory, raising questions about the preparation of Test match surfaces and the balance between challenging batsmen and providing a fair contest. As the series progresses, the condition of pitches will undoubtedly remain a key point of discussion.
