The International Cricket Council (ICC) has delivered its verdict on the controversial Eden Gardens pitch that hosted the first India vs South Africa Test from November 14-16, rating it as “satisfactory” despite widespread criticism from experts and former players. The pitch drew heavy flak after India collapsed and failed to chase down a modest 124-run target, losing the match by 30 runs as South African spinner Simon Harmer claimed eight wickets.

ICC rates Eden Gardens pitch “satisfactory”

According to a report by the Times of India, the ICC gave the Eden Gardens surface a “satisfactory” rating, meaning it escaped any demerit points or sanctions. This decision will likely surprise many who witnessed the match, as the pitch offered excessive turn and uneven bounce from the outset, making batting extremely difficult for both sides.

The rating stands in sharp contrast to the ICC’s verdict on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch, which hosted the Australia vs England Boxing Day Test. The MCG surface was rated “unsatisfactory” and handed one demerit point after the match ended in just two days with 36 wickets falling.

Gautam Gambhir defended the pitch, experts disagreed

India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the Eden Gardens pitch immediately after the match, insisting it was exactly what the team had asked for.

“It was not an unplayable wicket, there were no demons,” Gambhir said. “This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. The curator was very, very helpful and supportive. This is exactly what we wanted, and this is exactly what we got. When you don’t play well, this is what happens.”

However, most former players and experts strongly disagreed with Gambhir’s assessment, pointing to the erratic behavior of the surface and questioning the wisdom of preparing such a pitch for a young Indian batting lineup.

Anil Kumble: “I’ve never seen a pitch behave like this at Eden Gardens”

Legendary spinner and former India coach Anil Kumble expressed shock at Gambhir’s remarks, stating that he had never witnessed such extreme conditions at Eden Gardens in all his years of playing and coaching.

“If you look back at the legacy of Eden Gardens, there have been so many Test matches played here. I’ve been coming here since I was an Under-19 kid, and I’ve never seen a pitch behave like this over three days in a Test match,” Kumble said on JioHotstar after the match. “I did listen to what Gautam said; he mentioned that the team wanted something like this. Then I’m a bit confused because I know this is a young side.”

Kumble’s comments highlighted the disconnect between Gambhir’s claim that India wanted such a pitch and the reality that the team’s inexperienced batting lineup struggled to cope with the extreme conditions.

Dale Steyn: “I certainly saw quite a lot of demons”

Former South African pace legend Dale Steyn directly countered Gambhir’s “no demons” statement, pointing out the extreme variations in the pitch’s behavior.

“He said there weren’t demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot,” Steyn said on the same panel. “You know, as Anil was saying, some balls were spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one was 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.”

Steyn’s observations underscored the extreme difficulty batters faced, with deliveries either spinning sharply or skidding through unpredictably, making it nearly impossible to apply consistent technique.

Ravichandran Ashwin: “It was dangerous, but not a proper turner”

Recently retired India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a nuanced stance, refusing to call the Eden Gardens pitch a “turner” but acknowledging it was “dangerous.”

“If someone calls this Eden Gardens pitch a turner, I will not agree with them one bit. It was proper wicket preparation that went awry. The point I agree with is that it was quite dangerous. But my view is, give a turner. But there are only a few surfaces where you can give a turner. You cannot give a turner at Eden Gardens. If you try to give a turner there, the wicket will turn like this,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin’s comments suggest that the pitch was the result of poor preparation rather than a deliberate attempt to create a spinning track, and that Eden Gardens’ soil composition makes it unsuitable for extreme turning surfaces.

Contrasting verdicts: Eden Gardens vs MCG

The ICC’s contrasting verdicts on the Eden Gardens and MCG pitches have sparked debate. While the MCG was penalized for producing a surface where the match ended in two days with excessive seam movement, Eden Gardens—where batting was arguably even more difficult—received a satisfactory rating.

The difference may lie in how each pitch played across the match duration. The MCG Test lasted just over two days, while the Eden Gardens Test went into the third day, possibly influencing the ICC’s assessment.