Kolkata, Nov 16 (NationPress) India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has come to the defense of the pitch curator amidst ongoing criticism regarding the Eden Gardens' wicket, asserting that they received exactly what they had requested and emphasized that "there were no demons" in the pitch.

The current World Test Champions, South Africa, marked an impressive comeback, securing a significant victory at Eden Gardens on Sunday, taking the lead in the two-match Test series. The match wrapped up on just the third day as the visitors capitalized on the challenging pitch presented to them.

"This is precisely the pitch we were aiming for. I believe the curator was extremely accommodating, and we got what we wanted. When performance falters, outcomes like this arise," Gambhir stated during the post-match press briefing.

“There were no demons in this wicket. It was not unplayable. Temba Bavuma scored runs, and both Axar and Washi also contributed. The reality is that there’s no point in constantly discussing the pitch. Most wickets fell to seam bowlers. I don’t consider it a challenging wicket. This surface tested your technique, your mental resilience, and your ability to endure and bat for long periods to score runs. However, those who attempted aggressive play found it tough," he added.

South Africa made a striking recovery following their initial innings collapse at 159 after opting to bat first. Their bowlers shone on Day 2, particularly Harmer, who restricted India to a slim lead of 30 runs. In their second innings, South Africa’s batting struggled, finishing at 93/7 by Day 2’s end, putting the hosts in a favorable position heading into Day 3.

Captain Temba Bavuma demonstrated exceptional skill against the Indian spinners on this demanding pitch, being the sole player in the match to achieve a fifty. His performance enabled South Africa to add 60 runs to their overnight score, setting a target of 124 runs for India—a task that was challenging yet doable.

Gambhir, however, declined to place blame on the batters, affirming that the team “wins together and loses together.”

"It's a tough scenario. I genuinely don’t believe in assigning grades, and it's not appropriate for me to do so. I've expressed it before; we either win together or lose together. It’s unjust to start blaming the batters. I feel they gave their all. Nonetheless, we must continue to improve if we want to compete in these types of matches," Gambhir concluded.