India lost the first Test against South Africa, IND vs SA, at Eden Gardens by 30 runs. India attempted to win by using a heavy spin strategy. This plan failed. South African spinners put pressure on Indian batters. India then lost a home Test to South Africa after 15 years.
This result sparked outrage among former players. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh lambasted the conditions of the pitch. He says the team management continues to prepare spinning tracks. He feels such wickets harm the future of Test cricket in the long run.
Harbhajan said that such pitches have been used for many years. He added that people did not question them earlier because India kept winning. Bowlers took wickets, and fans praised them. Because of this, everyone assumed the system worked.
Harbhajan said the batting approach was also at fault. He said the players did not even attempt to adjust. He asked for what reason pitches are made on which Indian batters cannot score runs. He also mentioned that this pitch had given far too much help to bowlers. When conditions heavily assist the bowling, he said, often one finds it difficult to tell the difference between a skilled bowler and a skilled batter.
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