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The first Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, concluded within eight sessions. On Sunday, November 16, the Proteas defended a 124-run target in the fourth innings to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. India were bowled out for just 93 on a rank turner.
Legendary Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh opined that the Men in Blue have “completely destroyed” Test cricket by preparing pitches which are immensely favouring spinners. He said that the practice of preparing rank turners isn’t new in Indian cricket, but people remained silent because the team was winning. However, tables have turned drastically since 2024 as India were whitewashed in a three-match series by New Zealand and now lost a Test match at home to South Africa for the first time in 15 years.
“They have completely destroyed Test cricket. RIP to Test cricket, rest in peace Test cricket. The kind of work they have done, the kind of pitches that have been made for so many years now, I have been seeing it. No one talks about it because it is fine, the team is winning, someone is taking wickets, someone is becoming great by taking those wickets, so everyone feels everything is going well. But I feel that this practice has not started today. It has been going on for many years, and I feel it is a wrong way of playing,” Harbhajan said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“You are not moving forward in any way, you are just going around in circles like an ox tied to a mill. You are winning, but there is no real benefit. As a cricketer, you are not growing. So I feel it is high time to see and reflect on this, that playing matches on such pitches where your batsmen are not even sure how to score runs, and you are making them look like they do not know how to bat. Then what difference remains between a capable bowler and a capable batsman if the conditions become so favourable that people are getting out because of the pitch and not because of skill?” he added.
Our team is so capable, we can beat any team on good wickets: Harbhajan
Harbhajan said that the Indian team has the ability to win on good surfaces because the players in every department are fantastic. He urged the team management to ask the curators to prepare pitches that would give the batters a fair chance of scoring runs rather than leaving them in the dilemma of whether to attack or defend.
“Why are we doing this? I do not understand. You have such a good team. Your batting is solid. Your bowling, your spin department is solid. Your fast bowling, you have solid fast bowlers, Bumrah, Siraj. What else do you need? Even if not in two and a half days, you will win in five days. But at least make good pitches. What is even happening? It is beyond my understanding,” Harbhajan elaborated.
“Our team is so capable, we can beat any team on good wickets. But if you play like this, Harmer will take wickets. Someone whose name you have never even heard will take wickets. He becomes a bowler. Anyone random comes here and becomes a bowler and goes back after getting our batsmen out. And then we talk about why their average is dipping. Of course it will dip. On such pitches, what will the batsman do? Defend? Play shots? What? You are not even sure what to do because it is not the bowler’s skill getting you out, the pitch is getting you out,” he added.
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