New Delhi: Sourav Ganguly has shed more light on the ongoing debate over the Eden Gardens pitch, providing a detailed explanation of how the surface was prepared ahead of India’s 30-run loss to South Africa in the first Test. Amid questions about who influenced the pitch conditions, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president clarified that BCCI-appointed curators had managed the pitch well before the match started.
In an interview with India Today, Ganguly clarified that he played no part in preparing the pitch, highlighting that the BCCI’s curators take charge of the surface four days before a Test.
Ganguly clarified that he played no part in preparing the Eden pitch
“I don’t get involved in that at all,” he said when asked whether the team management sought his input. “The BCCI curators take over the wickets four days before the Test. Our own curator, Sujan Mukherjee, has been excellent for many years. The team puts in its requests, and those requests are followed. That’s all there is to it.”
Ganguly was candid in his assessment, acknowledging that the pitch fell short of expectations and insisting that the Indian batting lineup deserved a better surface.
“It wasn’t the greatest pitch, I must admit,” he said. “The top order and middle order deserved a better surface. Eden was full for three days, and I genuinely believe that Gautam Gambhir and his team should play on pitches far better than what they got.”
Sujan Mukherjee prepared the picth exactly as requested
Curator Sujan Mukherjee supported this, stating that he prepared the pitch exactly as requested by the team management.
“Sometimes it’s beyond our control, but we always try to meet the captain and coach’s instructions,” Mukherjee said.
“Gautam Gambhir himself said after the match that he wanted such a pitch, and that’s what we provided.”
South Africa is leading the series by 1-0
The defeat has increased scrutiny on India’s home Test performance, especially under new coach Gambhir. However, Ganguly rejected any talk of a leadership change.
“There’s no question of removing Gautam Gambhir,” he asserted. “Both Gautam as coach and Shubman as captain performed exceptionally well in England on good batting tracks, and I’m certain they can succeed in India too.”
South Africa is currently leading the series by 1-0, the Guwahati Test is a do-or-die for India as they will look to avoid their first home series defeat to South Africa since 2000.