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"Indian team wanted...": Ganguly uncovers truth about the controversial Eden Gardens pitch

Kaushik Kashyap

Sourav Ganguly on Eden Gardens' pitch. [Source - @cricsubhayan/x.com]Sourav Ganguly on Eden Gardens' pitch. [Source - @cricsubhayan/x.com]

In a dramatic twist in the ongoing Eden Gardens Test, Sourav Ganguly has stirred a fresh debate by revealing that its team India, not the Cricket Association of Bengal, who requested the contentious spin-friendly pitch. With more than 25 wickets tumbling in just two days, the match has reignited concerns over India’s approach to home conditions.

Ganguly defends CAB, puts onus on Indian team management

As criticism mounted over the sharply turning and unevenly bouncing surface in Kolkata, many directed blame at the CAB and veteran curator Sujan Mukherjee. But Ganguly stepped forward, clarifying that the pitch was shaped according to Team India’s wishes, distancing the association from the growing criticism.

The former Indian captain emphasised that the pitch curator Mukherjee “cannot be blamed” because the home camp specifically wanted this kind of dry, spinner-friendly wicket for the opening Test against South Africa.

"The pitch is what the Indian team wanted. This is what happens when you do not water the pitch for four days. Curator Sujan Mukherjee cannot be blamed," Ganguly said as quoted by News18.

Ganguly earlier stated that the Indian team had not asked for any specific wicket earlier this week, indicating there was no initial demand for a turning track. But once Gautam Gambhir and other team members arrived late in Kolkata after the white-ball tour of Australia, the management’s position might have changed.

Concerns over quality of cricket and India’s approach

Despite India holding a strong position in the match, the spectacle of more than 25 wickets falling within two days hardly reflects the ideal standards of Test cricket. It raises genuine concerns over whether the batting from both sides has simply been poor or whether the pitch has influenced the contest far more than it should in a five-day format.

Furthermore, India’s choice to request such conditions invites scrutiny, especially considering last year’s painful episode when spin-friendly surfaces backfired and led to a 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand, their first Test series loss at home in 12 years.

From a broader perspective, opting for sharply turning tracks risks empowering opposition spinners just as much as India’s own, potentially taking the team away from its natural strengths rather than making the full use of it.