Former South Africa pacer, Dale Steyn shared his views over team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s ‘no demons in the pitch’ comments after the Eden Gardens test loss. Gambhir defended the Eden Gardens pitch despite the match ending within three days. Team India suffered a shocking 30-run defeat against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, as the Proteas took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
The way the Indian batters surrendered against South Africa’s spinners left fans surprised, and many also raised questions about the pitch since the match finished so quickly. However, during the post-match press conference, Gambhir clearly defended the surface, saying that the 123-run target was chaseable.
He also said there were no demons in the pitch and added that this was exactly the kind of surface they wanted. According to him, the pitch tested his batters’ technique, and going forward, they need to improve their skills against spin on such tracks.
"First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn't an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored. The point is, on a turning track, if you see the stats, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers. If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before," Gambhir said.
“Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it” - Steyn
Listening to that, Steyn looked a bit surprised, and during a chat on JioHotstar, he claimed he did see demons in the pitch for sure.
"He said there weren't demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot. You know, as Anil (Kumble) was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you're out. That's pretty tough to bat on. When batters don't have the option to score runs, the application of defence becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult."
He also said that the best batters from both sides — Washington Sundar for India and skipper Temba Bavuma for South Africa — applied themselves well and scored crucial runs, yet even they did not look comfortable despite facing many deliveries. For Steyn, this was a clear sign that the pitch had demons in it, and a Test ending within three days only proved his point.
"The two who applied themselves best were Washington Sundar in the fourth innings and Temba Bavuma. Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defence was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that's for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure," Steyn concluded.
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“Certainly has demons in it” – Dale Steyn responds after Gautam Gambhir’s “No demons in the wicket” comment following 1st Test loss
Dale Steyn publicly countered Gautam Gambhir's pitch defense, stating the Eden Gardens pitch "certainly has demons in it" after the 1st Test finished in three days. Steyn argued that the unpredictable nature and fast finish proved the surface was treacherous.
Former South Africa pacer, Dale Steyn shared his views over team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s ‘no demons in the pitch’ comments after the Eden Gardens test loss. Gambhir defended the Eden Gardens pitch despite the match ending within three days. Team India suffered a shocking 30-run defeat against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, as the Proteas took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
The way the Indian batters surrendered against South Africa’s spinners left fans surprised, and many also raised questions about the pitch since the match finished so quickly. However, during the post-match press conference, Gambhir clearly defended the surface, saying that the 123-run target was chaseable.
He also said there were no demons in the pitch and added that this was exactly the kind of surface they wanted. According to him, the pitch tested his batters’ technique, and going forward, they need to improve their skills against spin on such tracks.
"First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn't an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored. The point is, on a turning track, if you see the stats, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers. If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before," Gambhir said.
“Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it” - Steyn
Listening to that, Steyn looked a bit surprised, and during a chat on JioHotstar, he claimed he did see demons in the pitch for sure.
"He said there weren't demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot. You know, as Anil (Kumble) was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you're out. That's pretty tough to bat on. When batters don't have the option to score runs, the application of defence becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult."
He also said that the best batters from both sides — Washington Sundar for India and skipper Temba Bavuma for South Africa — applied themselves well and scored crucial runs, yet even they did not look comfortable despite facing many deliveries. For Steyn, this was a clear sign that the pitch had demons in it, and a Test ending within three days only proved his point.
"The two who applied themselves best were Washington Sundar in the fourth innings and Temba Bavuma. Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defence was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that's for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure," Steyn concluded.
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