Cheteshwar Pujara disagrees with Gautam Gambhir after loss at Eden Gardens; ‘Indian batsmen looked underprepared’

Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara completely disagreed with India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the latter's assessment of the national team's defeat in the first Test against South Africa, that ended inside three days at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. On a turning pitch, the Indian batters found no clue to the South African bowling, especially spinner Simon Harmer, who took eight wickets in the match.

The Indian team managed 189 runs in the first innings before being all out for 93 in the second. Notably, Shubman Gill was absent hurt in both the innings, after he was ruled out due to a neck injury. Gambhir defended the pitch, stating “This is exactly the pitch we were looking for” and said that 124 runs in the fourth innings on this wicket was chaseable.

“The point is that you should be able to know how to play turn. And this is what we asked for, and this is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive," Gambhir told when asked about the pitch at Eden Gardens. According to Pujara, the pitch was certainly tough to bat on.

“I disagree with Gauti bhai that the pitch didn’t contribute to India’s batting struggles,” Pujara said on Cricket Live at JioStar. "He felt the team wanted such conditions, but this surface was clearly tough to bat on, no one except Temba Bavuma managed to cross fifty. Indian batsmen looked underprepared for playing on such turning tracks.

"On turning tracks, you need different shot selection, more sweeps, and positive intent to keep the scoreboard moving. Since India prefers spin-friendly pitches, our batters must prepare according to the demands of these spin-conditions instead of expecting usual batting-friendly surfaces," added Pujara, who played 103 Tests for India.

Temba Bavuma showed that you can score: Pujara

The 37-year-old was quick to add Temba Bavuma's example for the Indian batters to pick when playing on such wickets. Pujara opined that one needs to play differently in these type of wickets, using more sweep shots and showing positive intent.

“Some dismissals were due to batting mistakes, but that still doesn’t mean the pitch was easy. Temba Bavuma showed that you can score on this surface, but only by playing differently, using sweeps and showing positive intent instead of relying on traditional defense,” added Pujara.

"This wicket doesn’t support the usual Test-match style where you block, grind, and build an innings slowly. To do well here, batters have to play in an aggressive manner, use sweeps and lofted shots, and take calculated risks. We may not prefer these kinds of pitches in long-term, but the truth is that traditional Test batting becomes almost impossible on surfaces where you constantly need to innovate just to score," he concluded.

The Indian team will fly to Guwahati on November 19, to play the second Test beginning on November 22 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The stadium will host it's first-ever Test match.