Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee responded to critics on Monday regarding the controversial pitch in the first Test between India and South Africa, which concluded in three days.India suffered a 30-run defeat after being dismissed for 93 while chasing 124 in the fourth innings of the match.The pitch became a topic of debate after witnessing 11 wickets on Day 1 and 15 wickets on Day 2. No team managed to score more than 200 runs in any innings, with only one batter, South African captain Temba Bavuma, achieving a half-century.Sujan Mukherjee defended his work in an interview with Times Now, aligning with head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s perspective on the pitch quality.“This pitch is not bad at all,” he told Times Now.Mukherjee explained that he followed the instructions given to him while preparing the pitch.“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,” he added.Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly addressed the situation.“Yes, that is true — instructions were given, and I’ll just repeat what I said earlier. I am very fond of Gautam; he has done well for India in England, in ODIs, in T20 cricket,” Ganguly said. Ganguly emphasised the importance of trusting the Indian pace attack, adding, “He must have faith in Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami. Spinners, who win Test matches for them. Win Test matches in five days, not three days.”The match at Eden Gardens faced criticism from various quarters, with some calling for the venue to be banned and others describing the pitch as “awful”.
