Former great slams Gautam Gambhir, labels Kolkata Pitch 'horrible' after India’s shock defeat

India’s humiliating loss to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens has sparked strong criticism, with former India captain Kris Srikkanth launching a fierce attack on both the pitcc and head coach Gautam Gambhir for the team’s approach. Chasing just 124, India collapsed for 93 on November 16, exposing their vulnerability on turning tracks.

Srikkanth said India had effectively fallen into their own trap, pointing out that the pitch—designed to favour Indian spinners—behaved erratically from the very first session. The surface produced unpredictable bounce, with some deliveries keeping low, others rising sharply, and many turning viciously. Instead of benefiting the hosts, it highlighted their batting weaknesses against quality spin.

Calling the wicket unfit for Test cricket, Srikkanth noted that a match ending in two-and-a-half days clearly indicated a major issue. He cited the dismal scores of 159, 189, 153, and 93 to show that no batter from either side could trust the bounce.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Kumar Sangakkara replaces Rahul Dravid as Rajasthan Royals head coach

Reacting to Gautam Gambhir’s comment that the pitch had “no demons,” Srikkanth minced no words on his YouTube channel. “This was a terrible wicket. It was not worthy of Test cricket. If a game finishes in 2.5 days, obviously something is wrong,” he said.

He added that even fast bowlers got unpredictable lift—recalling a Bumrah delivery to Markram that nearly flew above head height—while spinners enjoyed excessive turn. Srikkanth remarked that on such a surface, even he could have taken wickets by simply bowling straight.

He also questioned India’s team selection. The hosts fielded four spinners—Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar—but Sundar wasn’t used at all in South Africa’s second innings. Srikkanth found it baffling that India picked an extra spinner on a turning track yet chose not to bowl him.

Although Jadeja claimed four wickets in the second innings, his performance was overshadowed by Simon Harmer’s seven-wicket match haul that decimated India. In contrast, it was pacers Bumrah and Siraj who carried the bulk of the workload in the first innings, taking seven wickets between them—raising further questions about the decision to overload the attack with spinners.

Srikkanth also pointed out that India has struggled repeatedly on spin-friendly pitches in recent years, citing past tormentors like Steve O’Keefe, Ajaz Patel, Matthew Kuhnemann, and now Harmer.