Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has laid out a fresh perspective on the turning tracks of Kolkata. He expressed that the way it had turned on the second day of play was not natural, and the pitch curators were left surprised.
The Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of South Africa at Eden Gardens. India fell 30 runs short of the target, prompting concern among fans and pundits over the team's path in Test cricket.
Amid the backlash over Team India, Sitanshu Kotak expressed that the pitch had developed an unexpected turn and was already dusty and was also crumbling.
The former Saurashtra batter also defended the head pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee, amid the criticism. He revealed that the way it had turned on the second day was unpredictable.
"In the last match, as we all saw, the pitch was dusty and was also crumbling a bit. That was unexpected. We thought that the spinners would come into play properly from the third day.
"Even the curators didn't expect that. Seeing that much turn on the second day is not normal. It probably happened because the top layer was dry and the pitch underneath was hard since it was rolled a lot," coach Sitanshu Kotak said at the pre-match press conference.
Sitanshu Kotak also defended head coach Gautam Gambhir over the criticism he faced following India's loss in the Kolkata Test.
He alleged that the hostility towards the former Indian cricketer was agenda-driven and also said that from a support staff's perspective, it was bad to single him out for India's defeat.
"Gautam Gambhir, Gautam Gambhir' (criticism) is being done. I am saying this because I am a staff member, and I feel bad. That's not the way.
Maybe some people individually have agendas. Good luck to them, but it is very bad," the former Saurashtra cricketer added.
Team India will look to avenge the defeat and level the series with a win over South Africa in the second Test match. The fixture will take place at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati from November 22, 2025.
