A glimpse of the conflict is visible in the statements of Gautam Gambhir and Indian cricket team’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. The Kolkata Test could not last even for 3 days, in which India lost by 30 runs. Gambhir had come in support of the pitch curator and said that Team India had demanded a similar pitch. But Sitanshu Kotak has blamed the defeat on the pitch curator of Eden Gardens.

Ahead of India vs South Africa 2nd Test, Sitanshu Kotak said, “People are saying Gautam Gambhir, Gautam Gambhir. I am saying this because I am a member of the staff and I also feel bad. This is not the way. Maybe some people are criticizing to run their agenda. Congratulations to them, but it is wrong to do so.”

Dispute between Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak!

Sitanshu Kotak said that no one wanted such a pitch. In the last match (Kolkata), Gautam Gambhir took all the blame on the pitch. He said, “He took the blame on himself because he thought that the entire fault could not be attributed to the curators. In the last match, the condition of the pitch started deteriorating after just one day. The soil was flying after the ball fell, it was visible to everyone, no one had expected this to happen.”

Sitanshu Kotak further said, “Spin was expected, but we expected spin on the evening of the third day or later. Sometimes the weather, sometimes even the pitch curator does not want this. I am telling the truth. No one wanted this kind of pitch.”

The main reason for criticism of the Indian team is that it could not achieve the target of 124 runs on its home ground. While chasing this target, Team India collapsed for 93 runs.

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The first test match between India and South Africa lasted only two and a half days. The pitch of Eden Gardens is being criticized. However, Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir has supported the pitch and the curator. But Michael Vaughan has given exactly the opposite statement. Vaughan had called it a ‘poor pitch’ during the second day’s play. Let us tell you that on the third day in the Kolkata Test, the Indian team could not achieve even the small target of 124 runs.

Now Michael Vaughan has once again criticized the pitch of Eden Gardens. “If you prepare a pitch like this you deserve to lose against the World Test Champions. Great win for South Africa,” he said in a post on X.

Simon Harmer, who has taken more than a thousand wickets in first-class, single-handedly overpowered Team India, taking a total of 8 wickets in the entire match. Especially in the second innings, he took away the strength of the Indian middle order batting. He took the wickets of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

Prepare a pitch like that and you deserve to lose against the World Test champs…. brilliant win by SA…. #INDvSA

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 16, 2025

Kolkata’s pitch was described as poor

A total of 15 wickets fell on the second day in the Kolkata Test, while Indian captain Shubman Gill was retired due to neck strain. The second day was completely dominated by the spinners. Michael Vaughan reacted to this and described the Eden Gardens pitch as poor.

The South African team last won the Test in India in 2010. After 15 years, no Test match has been won on Indian soil under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma. Let us tell you that under the captaincy of Bavuma, the South African team has remained invincible in test matches so far. The second test of both the teams will be played in Guwahati from 22nd November.

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