Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote an obituary of Test cricket on Saturday (November 15). He said that the near two-day finish for the first Test between India and South Africa at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens had made a ‘mockery’ of the format.
South Africa were bowled out for 159 in the first innings, and India could only take a 30-run lead in the second. At Stumps on Day 2, India had reduced the visitors to 93/7, with their lead only 63 runs. While pacers (Jasprit Bumrah 5/27 and Mohammed Siraj 2/47) dominated the first innings, spinners took 12 of the 17 wickets in the next two essays, as the pitch offered uneven bounce and huge turn.
“Test cricket india vs South Africa the game almost over on 2nd day isn’t finished yet . What a mockery of
test cricket #RIPTESTCRICKET,” Harbhajan wrote on X, with RIP being an abbreviation for Rest in Peace.
Other international players also shared their views on the pitch. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch wondered what his followers thought of the pitch, saying he personally loved ‘fielders crowding the bat’.
“What are your thoughts on the type of wicket we are seeing in kolkata? I love seeing fielders crowding the bat and the ball spinning big, makes for great viewing. Interested to hear how others see it,” he said on X.
Recently retired India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was quick to react to it. He seemed to suggest that the reactions were overblown and the low batting scores were rooted in poor technique, because Temba Bavuma, who was batting at 29 (78) at Stumps, showed what you could do with better application.
“Hey Finchy, Bavuma clearly showed that this pitch was manageable with his sound defensive technique, defending on top of the bounce and not picking length as a batter is recipe for disaster,” Ashwin said.
Finch said, “I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, every ball is an event though and watching players try and work out a way to survive is fun to watch.”
