"Leave The Curator Alone": Sunil Gavaskar's Clear Message To Gautam Gambhir After Kolkata Pitch Row
Sunil Gavaskar delivered a huge verdict on the Eden Gardens pitch following the national team's shocking loss against South Africa in the first Test.
- The pitch for the 1st Test between India and South Africa, which ended in less than 3 days, is under scrutiny
- Sunil Gavaskar warned that excessive pitch interference can sometimes backfire
- “It's always best to leave the curator alone because he knows his job better than anyone else," he said
Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar delivered a huge verdict on the Eden Gardens pitch following the national team's shocking loss against South Africa in the first Test. There has been a lot of chatter surrounding the surface after both teams failed to post 200-plus totals in both innings. Chasing 124, India were all out for just 93 with only Washington Sundar scoring more than 30 runs. Gavaskar said that teams should not try to influence curators or try to dictate pitch conditions. He also warned that when teams try to interfere too much with the pitch, it can sometimes also backfire.
“Well, you know what happens in the IPL? No IPL franchise can influence a curator to prepare any specific kind of pitch. The curator works independently. If he happens to be a die-hard fan of the home franchise, he might prepare a surface that suits their strengths, but that's entirely his call,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“It's always best to leave the curator alone because he knows his job better than anyone else. When you start asking him to mix things up or prepare a pitch a certain way, it can easily backfire. That is exactly what you want to avoid,” he added.
The first Test between India and South Africa, which concluded in just three days at Eden Gardens, marked a historic low for red-ball cricket in India, it was the first instance where both teams were bowled out in all four innings, with neither side reaching a total of 200 runs.
This happened for the first time in 66 years. In Test cricket, there are only 12 instances where neither team managed to touch the total of 200 in either of their innings while being bowled on each occasion.
Team India suffered their first Test loss at the Eden Gardens in 13 years as South Africa defeated them by 30 runs, with the hosts failing to chase down the target of 124 runs. The brilliant show by spinner Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, and a gritty half-century by skipper Temba Bavuma made a difference between the two sides.
India's defeat at Eden Gardens also placed the match in a statistical context, as the target of 124 became the second-lowest total India has failed to chase down in Test history. The lowest remains 120 against the West Indies in Bridgetown in 1997.
The result also marked South Africa's second-lowest successful defence in Test cricket. Their lowest remains 117 against Australia in Sydney in 1994.
(With ANI inputs)
Sunil Gavaskar
Gautam Gambhir
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team