“Totally agree with Gautam Gambhir” - Sunil Gavaskar defends Indian head coach amid sharp criticism

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has defended the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has come under sharp criticism for his comments on the Kolkata pitch after India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test.

Notably, Gambhir, who attended the post-match press conference, asserted that there were no demons on the Kolkata wicket, adding that they were the ones who asked for such a spin track for the first Test.

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Gavaskar emphasized that 124 was a chaseable target on such a track, adding that there was no vicious turn on the track. He went on to note that the Indian batters’ perspective should’ve been different in the fourth innings.

"Totally agree with Gautam Gambhir. 124 was chaseable on this pitch. There was no question about it. A lot of people are talking about what the pitch was doing, but if you had a look at what Simon Harmer was doing in an over, how many of his deliveries were turning? He was mixing it up really well. He bowled straight and got the odd one to turn,” Sunil Gavaskar told India Today. 

“So, it was not a vicious turning pitch. It was a pitch on which you needed to bat as if you were playing a five-day Test, not a 50-over match or a Twenty20 where, after three dot balls, you try to play a break-out-of-jail shot. That’s the issue. One hundred and twenty-four should have been chased with at least five wickets in hand with the kind of batting line-up India had,” he added.

It’s important to note that South African captain Temba Bavuma was the lone batter to score a half-century in the Kolkata Test. The former Indian captain went on to heap praises on the South African skipper for showing exceptional grit.

"The Indian batters had the example of Temba Bavuma. You may forget what happened the previous day, but Bavuma had played an innings of exceptional character just hours earlier. He batted with real temperament, technique, and dedication. That should at least have been at the back of their minds,” he concluded.

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