Gambhir stated that Kolkata curator Sujan Mukherjee was supportive.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir made a shocking admission that the team management had asked for a spin-friendly surface for the first Test in Kolkata against South Africa. This came after the Proteas defeated India in the first Test by 30 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
The Indian team went into the series opener as the clear favorites, expecting to make the most of the surface, which offered much to both pacers and spinners.
Odd bounce and lateral movement became noticeable early on the ground, leading veteran cricketers, analysts, and fans to question India's motivation for requesting such a pitch.
Gambhir admitted during the press conference that the Eden Gardens surface was exactly what the Indian team needed and that the defeat was solely due to the players' application.
Some even criticized curator Sujan Mukherjee, but Gambhir claimed that he was 'very helpful' in constructing the type of wicket that India required.
"The majority of wickets went to the seamers. No, the point is that you should be able to know how to play a turn. And this is what we asked for, and this is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive,” Gambhir stated in the post-test press conference.
“I still believe that irrespective of how the wicket was, 123 (124) was chaseable. And I felt that if you are willing to put your head down and if you have a solid defense, if you have the temperament, you can definitely score runs. 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, it's definitely a wicket where you can score. I think the inconsistent bounce came into it a lot, both for seamers and spinners,” Gambhir added.
When asked about the nature of the pitch the Indian team wanted for the Test, Gambhir responded with a sharp retort.
"This is exactly the pitch. And I feel that, as I just mentioned before, the curator was very, very helpful. And this is exactly what we wanted, and this is exactly what we got. When you don't play well, this is what happens,” he said.
Gambhir stated that the focus was on building partnerships when asked about the Indian team’s plans for going after the 124-run target. However, with Shubman Gill being ruled out due to his neck injury, India was one batter short.
"But we always felt that if we could get those partnerships, if we could have a 50-run partnership or a 40-run partnership, we would be in the game. And we were at one stage having that kind of a partnership as well.
"When Dhruv and Washi were batting, and then when Washi and Jaddu were batting. So it's about what, 30? If you can get to that 60-run partnership, that is where the game is. And again, it boils down to whether we have the ability at that time to absorb the pressure and keep breaking those big targets into those small targets," Gambhir asserted.
(NDTV inputs)