More than a month after the Kolkata Test between India and South Africa, a match that put the Eden Gardens pitch under intense scrutiny following India’s defeat inside three days, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has delivered its verdict.
The sharply turning surface, widely criticised at the time and labelled a poor advertisement for Test cricket, escaped the fate suffered by the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch. ICC match referee Richie Richardson rated the Eden Gardens track as “satisfactory”.
The verdict came despite strong criticism from former cricketers and experts, who deemed the Kolkata pitch unfit due to excessive turn and variable bounce. As many as 26 wickets fell over the first two days, with South Africa captain Temba Bavuma the only batter to register a half-century. South Africa were bowled out for 153 on the third day, setting India a target of 123 on a surface that had visibly broken up.
In the absence of the injured Shubman Gill, India struggled in the chase and were bowled out for 92, falling 30 runs short. Simon Harmer starred for the Proteas, claiming his second four-wicket haul of the match to finish with figures of 8 for 51.
The surface had drawn scathing reactions during the Test. Harbhajan Singh branded it “pathetic, utter nonsense”, while former England captain Michael Vaughan described it as “awful”. Despite that, the ICC deemed the pitch satisfactory.
In contrast, the MCG pitch, which produced a two-day finish in the fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes series, was handed an “unsatisfactory” rating. Match referee Jeff Crowe said the surface did “not allow an even contest between bat and ball”, adding that it favoured bowlers excessively by offering too many wicket-taking opportunities for both seam and spin. The verdict followed a match in which 36 wickets fell in just 142 overs across six sessions, before England emerged victorious.
Richardson also gave his assessment of the Guwahati pitch, which hosted a Test match for the first time. That surface received a “very good” rating. South Africa went on to win the match, completing a historic 2-0 Test series whitewash over India.
Amid the criticism surrounding the Kolkata track, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had defended the surface, stating it was exactly what the team had asked for and placing the blame for the defeat on the batters’ inability to handle pressure.
“The point is that you should be able to know how to play spin. And this is what we asked for, and this is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive,” Gambhir had said.
