The Eden Gardens has been a talking point even before the start of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa. If it was how the pitch will behave as far as the turn on the wicket is concerned, before the game started, the discussion hovered around on the prospect of the encounter finishing inside three days.

The dry surface had several cracks, offered vicious turn and offered uneven bounce from the first morning itself as batters from both struggled to find their feet in the middle. If statistics are to be believed, a total of 27 wickets fell on the first two days, with spinners contributing 15 of them.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has fond memories at this iconic venue, was the first to raise his concern on the pitch. “Test cricket india vs South Africa the game almost over on 2nd day isn’t finished yet . What a mockery of test cricket #RIPTESTCRICKET,” wrote Harbhajan.

Harbhajan calls Eden Gardens pitch ‘nonsense’

Calling out the Eden Gardens pitch as a “mockery of Test cricket”, Harbhajan stated that not even Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli would survive on this type of wicket.

“No matter how good your technique is, whether it is the great Tendulkar or Virat, I do not think they would have survived on such a surface because one delivery would fly out of nowhere, while the other would stay low and spin. In my view, it is pathetic and utter nonsense. A mockery has been made out of Test cricket,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan too voiced the same as Harbhajan on the pitch at Eden Gardens. “Awful pitch in Kolkata. Total carnage. This isn’t Test cricket; it’s a lottery,” tweeted Vaughan.

Another former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar rated the Eden Gardens pitch 5.5/10 and stated “It’s unplayable. The bounce is inconsistent; batters are pre-empting dismissals, not playing their shots.”

What did Eden Gardens pitch curator say?

Earlier, Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee assured that the wicket will have bounce and good carry. “In Eden Gardens, whoever bowls in the morning session will get swing,” Mukherjee told Star Sports.

“The wicket has good carry, so they should practice slip catching,” he added. Emphasising the importance of preparation in the slips, Mukherjee warned that edges are likely to come into play. You can’t say there will be no edges, there may be edges and carry as well,” he explained further.

India vs South Africa 1st Test updates

Opting to bat first, South Africa managed just 159 runs in the first innings, with Jasprit Bumrah taking a five-wicket haul for the home side. In reply, the Indian team huffed and puffed to 189 all out, taking a 30 run lead. The visitors were all out for 153 in the second innings, with a lead of 123 runs. India need 124 runs to win the Test match and take a 1-0 series lead.