India lost to South Africa in Kolkata Test by 30 runs.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has set his target on the Indian team management, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, in the wake of their disastrous show with the bat in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata.
India failed to bat properly on an Eden Gardens pitch that helped spinners from day one with turn and uneven bounce. They managed 189 in response to the Proteas’ first innings score of 159. Then, when asked to chase 124 runs, India folded for 93 runs, losing the game by 30 runs.
Harbhajan Singh argues that rank turners are killing Test cricket and questions why a squad capable of defeating any opponent on any surface is turning to such methods while their own batters struggle.
“They (India) have destroyed Test cricket. Rest in peace, Test cricket. The kind of work they have done, the kind of pitches that have been made for so many years now, I have been seeing it. No one talks about it because it is fine, the team is winning, someone is taking wickets, and someone is becoming great by taking those wickets.
So, everyone feels everything is going well. But I feel that this practice has not started today. It has been going on for many years, and I feel it is the wrong way of playing,” Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel.
He further noted that playing on pitches like these won’t do any good to Indian cricket.
“We lost to New Zealand, and then again, we’ve prepared such pitches. We played so well in England, and after that… ghar aate he nikamma kaam. What’s the difference? Why are we doing this? I cannot understand. You have a solid batting, spin department, and fast bowlers. You will end up winning in five days, but you have to prepare good pitches.
You are not moving forward in any way; you are just going around in circles like an ox tied to a mill. You are winning, but there is no real benefit. As a cricketer, you are not growing," he added.
Harbhajan, who took 417 wickets in 103 Tests, hopes the team will reflect and change their tactics.
“So, I feel it is high time to see and reflect on this, that playing matches on such pitches where your batsmen are not even sure how to score runs, and you are making them look like they do not know how to bat. Then what difference remains between a capable bowler and a capable batsman if the conditions become so favorable that people are getting out because of the pitch and not because of skill? It is sad to see how Test cricket is being played. It’s shocking. I don’t know why we are doing this," he added.
The second Test between India and South Africa will be played in Guwahati from November 22.