‘Not everyone knows everything’: Eden Gardens curator breaks silence, says pitch was prepared on instructions

Eden Gardens pitch curator breaks silence after South Africa Test defeat.

Following India's stunning defeat in the opening Test match against South Africa, Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee spoke out about the issue surrounding the surface. India was dismissed for just 93 while chasing 124, and no team managed to score 200 or more in either innings.

The pitch at Eden Gardens has been the subject of much discussion since the defeat, with several former cricket players criticizing it for being harmful to Test cricket's future. Mukherjee stated that the pitch was "not bad at all" and clarified that he followed exact instructions.

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"This pitch is not bad at all," Mukherjee said in an interview with Times Now Bangla.

"I know everyone is questioning this pitch. Honestly, I know how to prepare a pitch for a Test. That's exactly what I did. I did it as instructed. I don't think about what others say. Not everyone knows everything. So I do my job with dedication, and I want to continue doing that in the future as well,” Mukherjee added.

Earlier on Sunday, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir bemoaned his batsmen' incapacity to "absorb pressure" and find a way to score runs on the difficult surface in the first Test match against South Africa while backing Eden Gardens' under-fire curator.

South Africa bowled the host team out for 93 in their second innings and successfully defended 124 to humiliate India by 30 runs in less than three days.

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India have lost 4 of their past 6 home Tests and 9 of the 18 games under Gambhir, and the outcome maintained the concerning pattern of home reversals.

"It was not an unplayable wicket, there were no demons," Gambhir said at the post-match media interaction.

"If you are willing to put your head down and if you have a solid defense, if you have a temperament, you can definitely score runs," he said.