'Go back to ... ': Ex-India cricketer offers advice to Gautam Gambhir after 1st Test defeat against South Africa in Kolkata

Following India's Test loss to South Africa, former batter Wasim Jaffer advised coach Gautam Gambhir to revert to traditional Indian pitches. Critics, including Michael Vaughan and Anil Kumble, questioned the Kolkata pitch's suitability, which heavily favored spin. Gambhir, however, defended the track, stating it was prepared as per the team's request.

Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has offered advice to Gautam Gambhir following India's 30-run loss to South Africa in the Kolkata Test. The pitch at Kolkata continues to face criticism despite support from India head coach Gautam Gambhir. The first Test concluded in just two and a half days, with South Africa taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

'When you don't play well, this is what happens': Gautam Gambhir reacts to 1st Test defeat, points out what India lacked

India, playing without Shubman Gill, failed to chase a target of 124, being dismissed for 93 in the final innings. South African spinner Simon Harmer took four wickets in the match. Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly revealed that the pitch had not been watered for four days as requested by the Indian team. They wanted conditions favourable for spin bowling. Gambhir confirmed this decision, acknowledging that pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee had prepared the track according to the team's specifications. Cricket experts, including Michael Vaughan, Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn, and Cheteshwar Pujara have criticised the pitch selection. They suggested India should have opted for a more balanced surface, given their superior team strength compared to South Africa. Wasim Jaffer shared his thoughts on social media platform X, suggesting a return to traditional Indian pitches used during Virat Kohli's captaincy from 2016 to 2020. "Looks like we haven't learned our lesson from NZ series loss. The gap between our spinners and opposition spinners reduces on pitches like this. We need to go back to classic Indian pitches, like the ones in 2016-17 season when Virat was captain and Eng and NZ toured," he wrote. Under Gambhir's coaching tenure, India's Test performance has declined. The team has lost four of their last six home Tests and faces the possibility of another series defeat on home soil. India has struggled against SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) during Gambhir's leadership. They suffered defeats against New Zealand and Australia, drew 2-2 with England, and now trail South Africa in the current series. Gambhir addressed the media after India's defeat in Kolkata, discussing the pitch conditions and team performance. "This is what we asked for, and this is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive. This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. There were no demons or not unplayable. Axar, Temba, Washington made runs. If you say this is a turning wicket, majority wickets were taken by seamers," Gambhir said. The second Test between India and South Africa will take place at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, starting Saturday, November 22.

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