Gautam Gambhir Faces Backlash Over "No Pitch Demons" Remark, Cricket Greats React

India head coach Gautam Gambhir put the entire blame for the defeat in the first Test against South Africa on the players, saying it was the application on the field that cost them the series opener in Kolkata, despite the game ending in under 3 days. The Eden Gardens pitch started to behave erratically quite early, making Temba Bavuma's half-century the highest score across four innings. Speaking at the press conference, however, Gambhir denied calling the surface 'unplayable', saying there were no demons in it. However, cricket greats Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn, and Ravichandran Ashwin weren't in agreement.

In the press conference on Sunday, Gambhir said that the players needed to spend some time on the wicket, which was testing but certainly not unplayable.

"It was not an unplayable wicket, there were no demons," he said. "This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. The curator was very, very helpful and supportive. This is exactly what we wanted, and this is exactly what we got. When you don't play well, this is what happens. Yes, it might not be a wicket that is going to be very flamboyant, where you can play those big shots. But if you are willing to put your head down, definitely it is a wicket where you can score."

Anil Kumble, a legendary spinner and also a former coach of the Indian team, shared his experience from playing in Eden Gardens, expressing shock at some of Gambhir's remarks on the pitch.

"If you look back at the legacy of Eden Gardens, there have been so many Test matches that have been played. I've been coming here since I was an Under-19 kid, and I've never had a pitch that behaved like this over the three days in a Test match," Kumble said on JioHotstar after the match. "I did listen to what Gautam said, he did mention the fact that the team wanted something like this. Then I'm a bit confused because I know this is a young side."

Dale Steyn, one of the finest South African pacers to have played the game, directly countered Gambhir's 'no demons' statement. He said that he saw a lot of demons in the pitch.

"He said there weren't demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot," Steyn, who was part of the same panel, said. "You know, as Anil was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you're out. That's pretty tough to bat on. When batters don't have the option to score runs, the application of defence becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult."

Ashwin took a slightly different stance on the subject, as he refused to call the Eden Gardens pitch a 'turner' but he had no qualms in admitting that it was 'dangerous'.

"If someone calls this Eden Gardens pitch a turner, I will not agree with them one bit. It was proper wicket preparation that went awry. The point I agree with is that it was quite dangerous. But my view is, give a turner. But there are only a few surfaces to give a turner. You cannot give a turner in Eden Gardens. If you try to give a turner there, the wicket will turn like this," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir Ravichandran Ashwin Anil Kumble Dale Steyn India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket