India’s heavy defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens has reopened the long-running debate around the team’s approach to home conditions. The match was played on a surface that offered substantial turn and variable bounce from the opening day, creating an unpredictable contest that ultimately hurt India more than their opponents.
Batting second, India managed only a small lead and later collapsed for 93 while chasing 124 — their second-lowest failed chase at home. The absence of captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck injury in the first innings, added to the pressure on a batting lineup already struggling on extreme turners.
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The controversy intensified when head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed after the match that the surface had been prepared on the team’s request. His remark — “This is exactly the pitch we wanted” — sparked strong reactions, especially given India’s recent track record on rank turners, including last year’s 0-3 whitewash at home to New Zealand.
Questions are now being raised about whether the strategy aligns with the str
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