IND vs SA 2025: 'Any Test that finishes in 3 days has demons' - Former South African pacer refutes Gautam Gambhir's pitch defence

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said that the surface for the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata wasn't unplayable. The hosts lost the match by 30 runs, failing to chase down a 124-run target in the fourth innings on a spin-friendly track. The match ended in the second session on Day 3 as the Proteas took a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Gambhir mentioned that batters who have decent technique, mental toughness, and temperament would do well on such surfaces. He said that the Men in Blue had played on similar pitches in the past.

"First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn't an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored. The point is, on a turning track, if you see the stats, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers. If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before," Gambhir said during the post-match press conference.

Former South African pacer Dale Steyn shared his views on Gambhir's assessment of the surface. The cricketer-turned-expert explained how difficult batting was at the Eden Gardens.

"He said there weren't demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot," Steyn said on JioHotstar after the match.

"You know, as Anil was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is 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," he added.

This wicket certainly has demons in it, that's for sure: Steyn

Steyn disagreed with Gambhir's assessment that the surface at Eden Gardens didn't have demons in it. South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Tests against India noted that Washington Sundar and Temba Bavuma, who were the most assured batters in the encounter, didn't look completely at ease during their knocks, as it seemed that one good delivery could end their resistance.

"The two who applied themselves best were Washington Sundar in the fourth innings and Temba Bavuma. Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defence was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that's for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure," Steyn stated.