Harbhajan Singh blasts Eden Gardens pitch, warning bowler-friendly surfaces are ruining Test cricket’s growth.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on the state of Test cricket, criticising the under-prepared and excessively bowler-friendly pitches that he believes are undermining the format. His remarks came after India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, where the match ended inside three days while chasing a modest target of 124.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Singh declared, “They have completely destroyed Test cricket. Rest in peace Test cricket.” He argued that surfaces like the one in Kolkata prevent genuine player development and reduce the contest to conditions rather than skill.
Singh, who famously took 13 wickets at the same venue in India’s iconic 2001 win over Australia, said the issue has persisted for years. “The kind of pitches that have been made for so many years now, I have been seeing it. No one talks about it because it is fine, the team is winning, someone is taking wickets, someone is becoming great by taking those wickets. But I feel this practice has not started today. It has been going on for many years, and I feel it is the wrong way of playing,” he explained.
The veteran off-spinner emphasised that such conditions do not help cricketers grow. “You are not moving forward in any way, you are just going around in circles like an ox tied to a mill. You are winning, but there is no real benefit. As a cricketer, you are not growing,” he said.
Singh added that batsmen are being unfairly judged when pitches make scoring runs nearly impossible. “Playing matches on such pitches where your batsmen are not even sure how to score runs, and you are making them look like they do not know how to bat. Then what difference remains between a capable bowler and a capable batsman if the conditions become so favourable that people are getting out because of the pitch and not because of skill?” he asked.
Expressing sadness over the current state of the longest format, Singh concluded, “It is sad to see how Test cricket is being played. I don’t know why we are doing this.”
Harbhajan, who retired with 417 wickets in 103 Tests, urged reflection on the matter, warning that continuing with such surfaces will harm the integrity of the game. India now turn their focus to the second and final Test against South Africa, scheduled to begin in Guwahati on November 22.