Sourav Ganguly was “extremely dissatisfied” with the Eden Gardens pitch for the first Test against South Africa but complied with Team India’s demands to maintain smooth relations with the BCCI, according to exclusive sources. The CAB president allowed the pitch to remain unwatered for four days as instructed by Gautam Gambhir’s team management—a decision that ultimately backfired spectacularly in India’s 30-run defeat.

Four Days Without Water

Cricket Association of Bengal sources revealed to NDTV the extraordinary preparation methods employed. “Under the instruction of the team management, the pitch was not watered for four days. When the dew came, work was not done on the curator’s will but the team management’s. It was kept covered,” a CAB source confirmed.

November in Kolkata brings cool, dry mornings, abrasive afternoons, and enough atmospheric bite to crack open even well-maintained surfaces. India’s coaching staff had ordered a wicket that would break from day one, and Eden Gardens complied—perhaps too well.

BCCI Oversight

Well before the toss, the BCCI dispatched its Head of Curators, Ashish Bhowmik, to work alongside Eden curator Sujan Mukherjee, shaping the exact surface the team management requested. The result was a deck that darted, jagged, skidded, and occasionally leapt with no apparent provocation—turning on India rather than for them.

Ganguly’s Displeasure

Despite being “extremely dissatisfied” with the surface, Ganguly chose not to interfere with the preparation process. Many believe he stayed hands-off to maintain smooth relations with the BCCI, especially with Kolkata eyeing a semifinal berth for the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

His post-match comments to NDTV were telling: “Play on good wickets. I hope Gautam Gambhir is listening. I have got a lot of regard for him… but he must play on good wickets. Because he has got Bumrah, Siraj, Shami, Kuldeep, Jadeja.”

The former India captain’s message was unmistakable—leverage India’s world-class pace and spin resources on traditional surfaces rather than gambling on extreme turners.

Gambhir’s Effusive Praise

After the defeat, Gambhir was effusive toward curator Mukherjee. “He gave us exactly what we wanted. He worked really hard,” the India coach said. Two days later, a photograph of Gambhir hugging Mukherjee went viral, deepening the debate about accountability for the pitch strategy.

“This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. This is exactly the pitch. And I feel that the curator was very, very helpful. And this is exactly what we wanted. And this is exactly what we got. When you don’t play well, this is what happens,” Gambhir stated.

Historical Tensions

The story has roots in Gambhir’s days with Kolkata Knight Riders. As captain and later mentor, he routinely pushed for turning tracks despite having world-class spinners, insisting KKR win on their strengths. Back then, his wishes clashed with Ganguly—then BCCI President—who wanted high-scoring 190-plus pitches to keep IPL contests vibrant.

That philosophical tension clearly hasn’t disappeared, now resurfacing in the Test arena with far graver consequences.

The Pitch Backfires

The surface responded exactly as scripted—low, slow, cracked, and chaotic from ball one. But what India designed to be their 12th man became South Africa’s unexpected advantage. No team crossed 200 in any of the four innings, with India collapsing to 93 while chasing just 124.

Simon Harmer’s off-spin claimed 4/21 in the second innings, while Keshav Maharaj took 2 wickets as the pitch’s extreme nature leveled the playing field, allowing South Africa’s spinners to exploit conditions just as effectively as India’s.

Guwahati Changes Course

Learning from the Kolkata debacle, India has reportedly requested a red-soil pitch for the Guwahati Test starting Saturday. The surface is expected to offer more pace, bounce, and turn—but at higher speeds with less variable bounce.

“The pitch here is made of red soil, which has the tendency to offer more pace and bounce. The Indian team had made their demands clear before the home season. So, if the pitch offers turn, it will turn at pace and bounce. The curators are trying to ensure there is no substantial variable bounce,” a BCCI source told Times of India.​

Maintaining Relationships

Ganguly’s decision to acquiesce despite his misgivings highlights the delicate politics between state associations and the BCCI. As CAB president hoping to secure major ICC events for Kolkata, challenging the national team management’s pitch demands—however misguided—carried risks he wasn’t willing to take.

In the end, the pitch India engineered to win may have cost them not just the match but potentially the series, with their WTC hopes hanging by a thread after dropping to fourth in the standings.