'No Expectations From The Home Team': Ex-Aussie Pacer Joins The Kolkata Pitch Debate, Highlights The Importance Of Good Surfaces

There is a lot of 'white noise' surrounding the Eden Gardens pitch. The hosts, India, might have started the series as favourites, but Temba Bavuma's South Africa left the hosts stunned and trapped them in their own 'pitch ploy'. India have played eight home Tests so far, and they have managed to win only four. Back in 2024, when New Zealand toured India, they clean swept the hosts 3-0.

After Gautam Gambhir took over as the Head Coach, India have managed to defeat only West Indies and Bangladesh at home, but this is not something that the hosts can flaunt about. The debate around the Kolkata pitch is slowly and steadily becoming a never-ending one, and India will have to do a lot of soul searching before they head into the Guwahati Test.

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Jason Gillespie Gives His Verdict On The Eden Gardens Pitch

Former cricketers have been constantly speaking about the conditions in which the first India vs South Africa Test was played. Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan was extremely critical of the pitch, and he went on to say that the home team deserved to lose for preparing a bad pitch. Many former cricketers also attributed the Kolkata game as the death of Test cricket.

After India's shocking loss in the Kolkata Test, India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir admitted to the fact that the Eden Gardens curator had prepared the pitch exactly how the home team wanted it to be made. Now former Aussie pacer Jason Gillespie has given his two cents on the Kolkata pitch. Gillespie took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account and said that the curators should be given the opportunity to prepare the best possible surface they can.

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Shubman Gill Likely To Be Unavailable For Guwahati Test

India's Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill picked up a neck injury while batting during the first IND vs SA Test. It is now being reported that Gill is being assessed, and he might not travel with the team to Guwahati. India will have to win the final game of the series at all costs in order to avoid another home series defeat.